The Symphony Strawberry Mousse Cake

 

 

 “Doubtless God could of made a better berry, but doubtless God never did!”

William Butler, 17^th century writer

 

Every once in a while there comes a time to create something really special. Making this cake is like conducting a symphony, there are a lot of parts to the whole but it comes together in an extraordinary way. It is prefect in strawberry season as it elevates the rich red berry in a masterful way. I highly recommend using organic strawberries as their flavor is far superior as is their nutritional value. Hank Tallman grows some of the best ever, available at Manzanita Fresh Foods and Mother Nature’s.  You can also buy them from him at the Farmer’s Market. This cooking concert should be started the night before to give time for all the players to come together.

 

Strawberry Mousse Cake

 

The Cake

 

¼ cup of butter melted

¼ cup of applesauce

1 cup of fat free sour cream

1 1/3 cups of sugar

2 teaspoons of vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups of unbleached flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

½ teaspoon of baking powder

½ teaspoon of salt

2/3 cups of reduced fat buttermilk

Cooking spray

 

Start this beautiful cake with the simple act of spraying 2 spring form round baking pans real good and preheating the oven to 350 degrees.  (I put on Pavarotti here.)

 

Combine the butter, applesauce and sour cream and beat with a mixer till well blended. Then add the sugar and vanilla, to the music of course. Beat the mixture about 2 to 3 more minutes. The eggs are next, one at a time, then mix some more, till everything is blended like a symphony.

 

Bring out another bowl, and mix the flour through the salt and stir it well with a whip. Then add the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternatively to the sugar symphony, mixing after each addition till everything is in harmony. Pour evenly into the 2 cake pans and tap pans in tune to the music to get the air bubbles out.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the fragrance mingles with the music and a tooth pick comes out clean from the center. Place on cooling rack and take the rings off as soon as possible. When the cakes are semi cool, take off the rest of the pan and place top side down on the cooling rack.

 

The Mousse

 

2 envelopes of gelatin

¼ cup of cold water

2 cups of fresh strawberries

1/3 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1 cup of low fat vanilla yogurt

 

 

While the cakes are cooking in the cozy oven, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in as small as sauce pan as you have and let rest.  Rinse, hull and puree the berries. In another small saucepan stir together the berry puree, sugar and lemon juice then gently heat, stirring in time to the music, just long enough for the sugar to dissolve. Remove from heat and set aside to await the violin section to join in. (the gelatin) Warm the gelatin over low heat till clear and syrupy. Add to the berry mix and stir well. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stick in the freezer, stirring occasionally, till it is the consistency of a raw egg white, about 15- 20 minutes. Whisk in the yogurt then put back in the freezer to await the grand assembly.

 

The Syrup

 

3 tablespoons of water

3 tablespoons of sugar

2 tablespoons of strawberry jam or puree

1 lemon’s zest

 

In yet ANOTHER small sauce pan, (good thing the music inspires me to wash dishes!) bring all the ingredients to a musical boil on med high heat.  Remove from stove and stir to cool down.

 

Place one layer of the cake into the bottom of the assembled, well sprayed, spring form cake pan. Poke a bunch of holes into both layers of cake with a toothpick, then drizzle half the syrup over the bottom layer. Take the mousse out of freezer, and spread on the cake in the pan. Then add the top layer of the cake, squishing down in pianissimo, to get everything in tune. Then drizzle the rest of the syrup onto it. Cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge for a long time, 4 hours to overnight, till set and the flavors are harmonious.

 

The Frosting

 

1 package of lower fat cream cheese

1 ½ cup of powdered sugar

Juice of one lemon

Zest of one lemon

Strawberries for decoration

 

Arrange the cream cheese to be at room temperature, then mix it well with a blender. Add the powdered sugar slowly while mixing or you’ll have the grand finale a bit too soon. Add the zest and juice and mix a bit more till smooth and luscious. Retrieve the cake out of the fridge and place on a beautiful platter. Snap off the spring form and be amazed at the symphony you conducted. Frost and decorate with the strawberries in a melodious pattern. Enjoy your masterpiece!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spark up the Grill with Healthy Burgers

 

“It was not her sex appeal but the obvious relish with which she devoured that hamburger that made my pulse begin to hammer.”  Ray Kroc

 

The beautiful weather galvanized my husband and I to fire up the grill and make burgers. I must admit, I really haven’t given burgers a lot of thought in the past. Yet this last week of experimenting with every kind of healthy burger has really brought a new respect to this humble meal.

 

The origin of the hamburger actually goes as far back as Genghis Khan. He and his “Golden Horde” rode long, hard hours to rape, pillage, and plunder so they needed fast eats to keep them on their very important job. They would take a ground meat patty and place it between their horse and saddle, then ride. When they had a moment they would take it out and eat it,…..raw. Yum. Gets ya salivating huh? These wonderful fellows brought the ground meat patty into Russia, where it became steak tartare, because Tartare is the Russian word for Mongol. These meat patties eventually found their way to Germany. Fast forward many years, to the mid 1800s, and the ground meat patties came overseas with the Germanic immigrants. Americans started seeing them show up here as steak, “Hamburg style.”

 

The bona fide American hamburger on a bun showed up in the late 1800’s. There is some controversy on who actually created it. About 5 families swear on their family trees that their great grand daddies were the first to come up with the famous sandwich. In 1995, one avid hamburger devotee, spent hours researching, trying to figure out who was the rightful king of the hamburger and gave the crown to an Oscar Weber Bilby out of Tulsa Oklahoma. Supposedly he and his wife Fanny, devised the hamburger, on one fine fourth of July in 1891, to serve to their guests.  He used their hand ground angus beef and she made buns from her famous sourdough yeast bread. Oscar, by the way, also invented the first grill to cook them on, ya know, the Weber Grill.

 

Hamburgers have an infamous reputation as being the ultimate junk food, but with a little weeding and care they blossom into a fine, healthy meal. There were so many delectable burgers that it was tough to narrow it down to such a few recipes. This first recipe is my husband’s Paul creation. (One can use fresh spinach in this recipe, just steam it a bit first, then drain it and squeeze it dry.)

 

Paul’s Greek Burgers with Feta Aioli

 

1 pound of super lean ground round or elk burger

2/3 cup of fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs

1/3 cup roasted red bell peppers chopped, (bottled is fine)

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons each of dried basil and oregano

¼ teaspoon of salt and pepper

1 10 ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed, and drained and squeezed dry

1 large egg

2 – 4 garlic cloves, grated

¼ cup of crumbled feta cheese

5 thick slices of red onions

 

Combine everything except onions, in a generous bowl and squish it all together with your hands. Divide the mixture into 5 equal parts and shape into patties. Spray the ole` BBQ rack with cooking oil, then heat it up. Place the patties on the grill rack. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side till they are cooked to your liking. Take off the burgers and let them rest while you grill the onion for about 2 minutes. Serve with Feta Aioli and other delish burger toppings.

 

Feta Aioli

 

¼ cup of crumbled feta cheese

2 tablespoons light mayo

2 tablespoons of light sour cream

2 – 4 garlic cloves grated

¼ cup of chopped bottled red bell peppers

Few cranks of pepper

 

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir till mixed well. Spread on the burgers and watch out! Fireworks to your taste buds!

 

Nutritional information per burger with 1 ½ tablespoons of sauce

Calories 385, Fat 12.1 grams, Fiber 4.3 grams

The flavor of these burgers takes me back to living in the Hawaiian islands when tahini salad dressing was all we ate. Very nurturing and delicious!

 

Chickpea Burgers

 

1 10 ounce can of chickpeas drained

1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds

4 scallions chopped

1 egg

2 tablespoons of all purpose flour

1 tablespoon of chopped fresh oregano

3 cloves of garlic, grated

1 teaspoon of cumin

½ teaspoon of salt

Couple cranks of cracked pepper

2 tablespoons of olive oil

 

To prepare burgers; put all the ingredients except the oil in a food processor and pulse, pulse, pulse until a coarse mixture forms that one would be able to press together into patties, which is what you do next. Don’t overdo the pulsing here or you will have a sticky mess, literally, on your hands here. You should get four nice sized patties out of the deal. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high. Add the patties and sizzle them till golden brown and getting crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes, flip and do the same treatment to the other side. Serve on whole wheat pita bread with lots of sauce, tomatoes, sprouts, and sliced red onion. Ono!

 

Tahini sauce

½ low fat plain yogurt

2 tablespoons of tahini*

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1-2 cloves of garlic pressed

1/3 cup of chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon of fresh chopped oregano

¼ teaspoon of salt

 

Before you make the burgers, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whip it up till well blended. Refrigerate till you use.

* Tahini is a smooth paste made from ground sesame seeds and commonly used in Middle Eastern foods.  You can find it at any health food store.

I love a good turkey burger!  These are really taste bud sparklers!

Asian Turkey Burgers

 

1 pound of ground turkey

¼ cup chopped green onions

1 tablespoons of orange juice concentrate

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

1–2 teaspoons of fresh grated ginger

3-5 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup of fresh chopped cilantro

1 egg

½ cup of fresh whole wheat bread crumbs

 

Combine all the above ingredients in a deep bowl and squash together with your hands till well blended. Divide into 5 equal portions and shape into whatever shape of patty feeds your soul. Place on heated BBQ grill that has been coated with cooking spray, grill 5 to 6 minutes on each side till done. Serve with Asian Aioli and other burger toppings. (Reduced fat Swiss cheese is really good on this one!)

 

Asian Aioli

 

3/4 cup of light mayo

1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped green onions

2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon of orange juice concentrate

1-2 teaspoons of soy sauce

½ - 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

¼ cup of chopped fresh cilantro

 

Whip all the ingredients up in a small bowl and serve with burgers. Resist the urge to put this sauce on all of your dinner. Even though it is fantastic, it doesn’t go well with strawberry shortcake, I tried it. Have a festive fourth of July!

 

Nutritional Information per burger with 2 tablespoons of aioli

Calories 390, Fat, 11.5 grams, Fiber 3.6 grams

 

 

The Fabulous and Frustrating Fava Bean!

“The farmers market is the only place left where we interact with someone who grew our food.” Deborah Madison

 

 

 

Farmer’s Markets open across the country this month. Rain or shine, it is a glorious day for everyone in their communities. Other than it being a feast for the senses, there are so many other reasons to shop at your local market. (Let me pull up my soapbox, ahem…) Eat locally, support small farmers, protect our environment, reduce your carbon footprint, connect with your community and food, nurture health, cultivate biodiversity, promote humane treatment of farm animals, slow down, enjoy life AND the food tastes better. MUCH much better.  

 

One of my personal favorite reasons to shop at the farmer’s market is trying new foods. There is always something unusual that catches my eye that looks like produce from another planet. I’ll never forget the first time I saw fava beans, thoughts of Jack and the giant beanstalk swirled in my mind. They look like enormous, bumpy green beans.  These ancient beans are one of the oldest cultivated plants.  They were the only bean in Europe for centuries, until the Americas were discovered, where most all beans come from. Favas have been slow to catch on here, in the land of fast, because they are, well, let’s just say they are high maintenance. First you have to shuck them out of their pods, then boil them for just a few minutes, then pinch them out of their waxy skins. So, why do it? For one, they are nutritional dynamos, loaded with fiber, iron, and so much protein that they have been called the meat of the poor. Supposedly they single handedly saved Italy from a great famine. For two, fava beans are very delicious with their lovely green buttery flavor. Oh, and they are good therapy for slowing down and getting in touch with your food.  Make it a Sunday with friends, setting around shucking the beans. It’s better than chewing the fat!

 

 Our community is very lucky to have Kingfisher Farms organic farm right here in our own valley. The owner, Jeff Trenary, who has been farming for 18 years, will be at our market with many tender vegetables, (and Favas) he coaxed out of the rain drenched earth.  This incredibly aromatic recipe highlights his offering of vegetables. Use your imagination on what to add, it can be served as a main vegetarian dish or a side.

Spring Market Veggies and Herbs

 2 - 3 young spring onions, stalks and all

6 to 10 small sweet carrots

4 to 6 little turnips

3 – 4 small potatoes

2 pounds of fava beans, shucked

1 tablespoons of butter or olive oil

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary, sage or oregano

(Fresh tarragon is amazing in this recipe, if you can find it)

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Salt and pepper

 

Slice the onion bulbs into rounds, cutting far up into the tender stalks. Depending on the size of the carrots, turnips, and potatoes either leave whole or cut in half length ways, rinse.

 

Boil 4 – 6 cups of water in a large pan. Drop the shucked fava beans in the boiling water for 1 minute or so, then scoop them out and rinse them in cool water. (Make sure and save the yummy stock water for the next step) Coax the favas out of their skins by slicing a bean size slit in the smooth end with a knife and pinching them. (They can go pretty far when catapulted this way!) Compost the skins.

Melt tablespoon of butter in a large skillet; add the onions and sauté for about 2 minutes over medium heat till fragrant. Add a ½ cup of the stock water, the vegetables, half the herbs, 1 teaspoon of salt and a few cranks of pepper. With the lid on the pan, simmer/ steam until vegetables are cooked to your liking, about 10- 15 minutes, stirring gently now and then.  Add stock water a ½ cup at a time to keep fluid in the pan for the sauce that is building. Add the fava beans, lemon juice, rest of herbs and stir till nicely blended.  Remove from heat and let rest, with the lid on, just long enough for all the veggies to get to know each other. Remember, Fava beans don’t need to be cooked long.  Serve with some of the sauce drizzled on top and a sprig of herbs for beauty.

Adventures in Thai Cooking

“The mere smell of cooking can evoke a whole civilization.”  Fernand Brandel

 

 

Cooking Thai food is one of those foods I absolutely love but could not cook. I tried and failed miserably many times. Then I had the great good fortune to have friend tuck me under her brightly colored umbrella and show me a few simple dishes that made it all come together. Thai cooking is all about intuition and personal taste opposed to the western school of thought of measurements and consistent outcome. Thai food is all about cooking with your tongue, right up my alley.

 

There are a few ideas to keep in mind while you are roaming through this cooking adventure. Thai food is a balance of 4 flavors plus heat, sour, sweet, creamy, and salty and the heat is the high note that sets on top. Taste the food often as you are concocting your Thai masterpiece and discern what flavor is missing or unbalanced, and add that one till you get the sweet spot where the flavors are just right. If it isn’t salty enough add some soy sauce. Not creamy enough? Coconut milk or peanut butter. Sour is likely to be lime and fish sauce and of course, sweet is sugar or sweet chili sauce.  The heat can be ginger, or chilies.  If you don’t like an ingredient, don’t put it in or only put in a little for balance.  It’s that simple. I love it! Don’t forget how good Thai food is for you too! Naturally packed with veggies and low fat ingredients.

 

This Thai recipe is really fun to make and eat. This is a very good social dish to prepare with friends.  A glass of a nice Riesling with a tropical fruit note is very good to sip on here to loosen up the vibe. (Willamette Vineyards makes a smashing Riesling at about $11 at Manzanita Fresh Foods). The rice papers can be bought at Mother Nature’s and the Mung bean threads and Sriracha, which is a Thai chili garlic paste, at Manzanita Deli.

 

Nime Chow

Thai Spring Rolls

 

An ounce or so of Mung Bean threads

12 sheets of round rice paper

 2 cups or so of mixed greens

1 cup of fresh bean sprouts

1 cup of basil leaves

½ cup or so of fresh cilantro leaves

1 or 2 cucumbers cut into julienne strips

1 or 2 carrots grated

24 to 30 medium shrimp, cooked and peeled

½ cup chopped dry roasted peanuts

 

Soak bean threads in two cups of very hot water in a pan for about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain them and set aside. (You can cut them into 4 inch sections with some scissors for easy handling, if you wish.) 

 Prepare all your veggies. (The wine comes in handy here.) Wash and pat them dry, cut up the carrots and cucumbers, and pick the cilantro and basil leaves off the stems. Organize everything assembly line fashion, like greens, basil and cilantro, carrots and basil, shrimp and peanuts.

 Now for the rice paper. (This is where it really gets fun!) Pour some very warm water into a shallow wide dish, like a pie plate, to about the depth of 1 inch.  Place 1 sheet of rice paper in the water and jiggle it back and forth with you finger tips till you feel it go soft under your touch, about 1 minute or so.  Remove the sheet from the water and place on a sushi mat that’s on top of a dry, clean dish towel. They are pretty fragile at this point so handle with care. Place about 2 fingers wide of bean threads in the middle of the rice paper, then add a couple tablespoons of bean sprouts, some basil and cilantro leaves, greens, carrot and cucumber, and a couple three shrimp, then some peanuts sprinkled like stars in a nice little heap on the bean threads mixture. Remember do things here according to your personal taste. Then fold the rice paper burrito style, the ends in first then roll the rice paper nice and tight over the garden of ingredients.

 

 

It takes some practice but you’ll get the hang of it. It will make things a lot easier if you wet your fingers a little to handle the rice paper. Place the rolls on a plate, seam side down, with a damp paper towel over them till you are ready to eat them. Make the dipping sauces and then cut them in half diagonally and pretend you’re in Thailand!

 Here is the classic peanut sauce lighten up a bit. It is still high in fat but it is all good for you. My husband can not have enough of this!

 

Peanut Dipping Sauce

1/3 cup of all natural creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup 1% fat milk

3 tablespoons of lime juice

2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

1 teaspoon of smoked paprika

1 to 3 teaspoons of Sriracha, such as Huy Fong

 

Whip up all the ingredients in the food processor or blender. Yum yum.

 This next sauce is so good you’ll find yourself dipping everything into it! No, really!

 Lime Vinegar Dipping Sauce

 1 cup of hot water

¼ cup of sugar

1 tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon of grated ginger

3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon of rice vinegar

1 tablespoon of fish sauce

2 to 4 large garlic cloves, grated

1 to 2 teaspoons of Sriracha, such as Huy Fong

 Add the sugar into the hot water in a small glass jar and shake till it dissolves. Then add the other ingredients and shake some more. Serve in small dipping dishes with the spring rolls. Enjoy this finger licking food and fantastic flavors.  Until next time……bon appetite!

 

Nutritional Information, for 1 roll plus 3 tablespoons of  lime sauce = CALORIES 154, FAT 3.1 FIBER 2 

 

 

Rhubarb, the Beauty and the Beast

 

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”  J.R.R. Tolkien

 

A very positive part of this cold spring in the Northwest has been the longer season of rhubarb. They love cold weather. Rhubarb is a bit of a venomous beast with beautiful delicious stalks. It is a rather dinosaur looking plant and even though the stalks are fine to eat, the leaves are extremely poisonous. My sister-in-law had 3 of her sheep die one year after getting into her rhubarb patch and eating the leaves! Consequently the leaves can make an effective organic insecticide for any of the leaf eating insects. Go figure. Rhubarb is loaded with anti-inflammatory nutrients and Vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting. It also posses a high amount of fiber, calcium and Vitamin C. One side note, rhubarb should be avoided if you have a tendency toward kidney stones.

 

Rhubarb has a pretty interesting history. Its roots are in China, most likely the colder regions of Mongolia or Siberia.  It has been used in China for thousands for years as a medicinal plant in it’s dried from. In fact, for a few hundred years, dried rhubarb was more precious than cinnamon and opium!  Benjamin Franklin is credited with bringing it to North America in 1772, though it didn’t catch on till in the 1800’s as the “pie plant.” 

 

This first recipe is one of my personal favorite rhubarb recipes.  Maybe it is because I just love a coffee cake and a coffee cake with rhubarb can not be missed!

 

Rhubarb Walnut Cake

 

Ingredients

 Cake:
3 1/2 cups finely chopped rhubarb
2 tablespoons ww pastry flour
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
5 tablespoons butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon of good cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
 Cooking spray
 
Streusel:
1/4 cup turbinado sugar, or brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon good cinnamon
2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

 

To prepare cake, combine rhubarb and 2 tablespoons flour in a medium bowl; toss well to coat. Set that aside then place brown sugar and 5 tablespoons butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating with vigor after each addition. Add sour cream, rind, and vanilla; mix it up till everything is well blended.

Meanwhile, combine flours, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Fold in rhubarb mixture. Spread batter into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray.

Prepare the streusel by combining the turbinado sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or your fingers, (my personal fav) until mixture is crumbly; stir in nuts. Sprinkle streusel evenly over batter. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Nutritional guidelines; If you cut the cake into 12 pieces per piece, Calories 326, Fat 8.9, Fiber 2.8

This next recipe is an old one that my Grandma Baker gave me.  For many of you, the taste will flood your memory with childhood springs. I enjoy this recipe because it has no fat or the usual super high sugar content that runs hand in hand with rhubarb.  This sauce has so many wonderful uses. Try it on pancakes, toast, yogurt, in crepes, and of course, low fat ice cream.

 

 

 

Rhubarb Sauce

3 cups chopped rhubarb, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice or water
1 tsp of grated orange peel

Combine all ingredients in largish saucepan. Cook over medium heat 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently until rhubarb is soft and sauce is thick and fragrant.

This last recipe is a wonderful combination of rhubarb and ginger. It is easy to make and has a beautiful presentation to get ohs and awes at the dinner table. 

Rhubarb Gingersnap Parfaits

Rhubarb sauce as needed

About 2 cups of low fat vanilla yogurt

about a dozen gingersnap cookies, low fat is possible, Mother Nature’s has some great ones, “Mi Del.”

Smash the gingersnaps into coarse crumblies. Choose some beautiful parfait glasses and layer the ingredients in them in an artful way. Enjoy the rhubarb while you can, the chilly spring is over as I write. (90 degrees today!)

 

The Quest for the Perfect Pizza!

“When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie, that’s amore!” –Jack Brooks

 

I can honestly say I have sacrificed myself for the good of the all. I have eaten so much pizza this week that I almost got sick of it. Almost, but not quite. Pizza is high on my list of perfect foods. It has all the good things like bread, veggies, meat, cheese and you get to eat it with your hands. The one big hang up, we all know, is that is usually loaded with calories. So, this last week I hog tied a few people into making and eating pizza in a lot of different ways to explore the possibilities of a great pizza that isn’t loaded with calories. Needless to say we had a smashing time and discovered both some surprising new recipes and some traditional. There are so many worthy tips and recipes to share on this great subject matter that this will be a multi part article.

 

We discovered some very important tips on making a terrific lower fat pizza.

 

- A whole wheat crust really fleshes out a healthy pizza. Beer can be substituted for the water in the crust. It makes for a richer taste but adds calories.

- Pizza dough stores wells in the fridge for up to 24 hours and also freezes just fine.

- After rolling out the pizza dough to your desired shape and thickness, fold into fourths to move to the pizza peel. Then quickly unfold and pat into place.

- Build the pizza on a wooden pizza peel that has been liberally dusted with flour. (Cornmeal doesn’t work so well.) Then lift up one corner of the crust and blow air under it right before you slide the pizza onto the stone. If you are totally into pizza, invest in a metal pizza peel, they are great.

- It was easier for us to get the pizza off the stone, when it is done baking with a thin, lipless cookie sheet than the wooden pizza peel.

- Bake on a pizza stone at 450 degrees. Preheat the stone with the oven on the bottom rack and then heat for at least an hour before baking pizza.

- Too many ingredients on the pizza made it harder to get onto the stone and was overwhelming taste wise. Simpler the better.

- Fat free cheeses are icky. They cook hard like plastic and are quite tasteless. Use a lower fat cheese like Alpine Lace, available at Manzanita Deli. The best reduced-fat mozzarella cheese is Sargento.

 

First off, the crust. The very foundation of the pizza had to be tasty but healthy. After making 4 different kinds, here is the favorite. I make all my dough in the bread maker on the “pizza dough cycle” or just plain “dough cycle” will do too. If you do not have a bread maker, prepare as regular yeasted bread. Good directions are on cookinglight.com, type in pizza dough. This recipe is enough for one pizza crust, I usually double it.

 

Whole Wheat Honey Pizza Dough

 

1 cup of warm water or beer

1-2 tablespoons of honey

2 teaspoons of dried basil

2-3 garlic cloves pressed

½ teaspoon of black pepper

½ teaspoon of salt

1 ½ cups of whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup of unbleached flour

1 package of active dry yeast or 2 ½ teaspoons

 

Layer all the ingredients in the bread maker starting with the water and finishing with the yeast on top. Press the pizza dough cycle, or just plain dough cycle and let her rip! I come back a check about 10 minutes later and make sure the consistency of the dough is correct. Well mixed, but not too wet or not too dry. When the dough cycle is finished you should have a beautiful, silky dough ball. At this point you can store it in the fridge covered with plastic wrap, till you need it. Take it out, knead it into a ball on a lightly floured surface then flatten it with your hands. Roll dough into a 12 to 18 inch circle, about 1/4 -1/2 inch thick. Place on a floured pizza peel or a rimless thin cookie sheet to await its adornment.

Nutritional info – about 50 calories, very little fat, and about 1 gram of fiber per slice of pizza crust, IF you cut the crust into 12 slices.

 

Alright, the next step in this worthy search for the “good” pizza, is the sauce. An excellent basic pizza sauce that you don’t have to make is “Rising Moon Organics” pasta sauce, available at Mother Nature’s or other health food stores. The flavors of this sauce are wonderful and they are actually low in sodium too. If you wish to make your own, here is a soild recipe.

 

Basic Pizza Sauce

1 onion finely chopped

2 -3 garlic cloves minced

¼ cup of red wine

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

1 teaspoon each of dried basil and oregano

Or 2 teaspoons each of fresh basil and oregano

1 14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon or so of fresh cracked pepper

1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar

 Heat a fairly substantial skillet over med-high heat. Coat the pan with a little cooking spray and sauté the onions for a few minutes till they are fragrant and tender. Add garlic and sauté for another minute or so, then stir in wine and cook yet some more. After a few minutes, add the rest of the ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or so until thick and heady.

 

 

This first pizza was the dark horse in the race for the perfect lower calorie pizza. It had a chance, but not a good one, to win. Lo and behold it received a perfect 10 by everyone! I call it the salad pizza, you can call it whatever you want, but it is so delicious!

 

Walnut Feta Salad Pizza

 

2 tablespoons walnuts

½ cup of reduced fat feta cheese

1 tablespoon of fat free milk

2 - 3 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon each of dried or fresh oregano and basil

½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper

2 cups of trimmed arugula

1 cup of shredded baked skinless chicken breast

(I baked mine in the Rising Moon pasta sauce, yum!)

3-4 juicy tomatoes chopped

½ cup of sliced red onion

2 tablespoons of a light balsamic vinaigrette, Such as Newman’s own

 

 Bake a pizza crust in the oven at 450 degrees till golden brown. Meanwhile heat a small skillet on the stove on med-high and place the walnuts into it with a little cooking spray. Cook, stirring constantly until the walnuts are fragrant and lightly brown, about 3 minutes or so. Toss walnuts, feta, garlic, milk, and spices in a food processor and pulse till you have a smooth concoction.

 Spread the walnut mixture on the baked pizza crust. Arrange the chicken, tomatoes, and red onion in a cubicuboctahedron pattern on the pizza crust, just kidding, anyway will do. Place the arugula, in a bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle the arugula over the pizza like fairy dust and Voila! Cut in to slices and serve. Everyone will be amazed! Stay tuned to find out what amazing pizza will be eaten next week!

 

This next pizza is one that you could build a relationship with it’s so good! The mixture of the tangy peanut sauce with the cheese sounds odd but explodes in your mouth in a harmonious way.

 

 

Thai Peanut Chicken Pizza

 

The Sauce

¾ cup rice vinegar

¼ cup of brown rice

¼ low-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons of water

1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger

2 tablespoons of natural chunky peanut butter

½ to ¾ teaspoon of crushed red pepper, depending on how spicy you like it!

 

The Pizza

2 cups of baked chicken cut into bite size pieces

1 red bell pepper, sliced

¼ cup of green onions diced

¼ cup of fresh cilantro

Alpine Lace Reduced Fat Swiss Cheese, slices

½ cup of grated Reduced Fat mozzarella

One Whole Wheat Pizza crust rolled into desired shape

 

Preheat oven to 450. Combine the sauce ingredients in a mediumish bowl and whisk up a storm. Heat a non-stick skillet up to medium heat, spray with cooking spray and pour in the sauce mix. Cook until it begins to thicken, 5 or 6 minutes, then add the chicken to the mix. Cook some more till a little bit thicker, ya know, about 2 minutes more. Spread the mixture evenly on the pizza crust. Then arrange the bell pepper in a beautiful design on top of that, and then layer the cheeses. Bake at 450 degrees about 12 to 15 minutes till done. Sprinkle the green onions and cilantro on the luscious baked pizza and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then cut into it and devour it. Very deliziosa! Until next time, Ciao bella!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carrot Cake on the Sunnyside Up

 Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.” Jim Davis

Merry Christmas! Oh, wait a minute, it was just Easter. I’m totally confused right now, seeming that it is snowing as I write. It never snows this late around here. I’m not sure if to start hunting for a Christmas tree or worry about global climate change. Well, when in doubt, bake. That has always been my motto. Since is was just Easter, I have been CRAVING carrot cake non-stop.  Sometimes it is better just to give in to these wonderful cravings, but choose a lower fat version that one can enjoy without guilt. 

Carrot cake happens to be my favorite cake, bunny tail down. I can’t think of anything better than a cake made with vegetables! Who every thought that up was using the old noodle. Carrots are, after all one of the perfect foods in this world. We all know carrots boast many merits in the nutrition department.  One of the little know and amazing facts of carrots are that they are by far one of the richest sources of carotenoids, which has been linked to dramatically reducing the rate of breast, bladder, lung, colon, and other cancers. And we can eat them in a cake!! 

I have spent many years trying different versions of lower calorie carrot cake recipes and have found one that I think is quite smashing.  This recipe makes a fairly dense cake but very flavorful. It is important in reduced calorie foods to use the best possible ingredients that you can find. A really fine vanilla and excellent cinnamon are definitely worth their price.  My husband likes this cake better the next morning for breakfast, after the flavors have married. Hopefully by the time you eat this cake the sun is shining and spring has returned!

 Sunnyside Up Carrot Cake 

1 ½ cups of whole wheat pastry flour

1 generous cup of white sugar

½ cup of unsweetened coconut flakes

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

½ teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1-2 teaspoons of vanilla

3 Tablespoons of canola oil

2 eggs

2 generous cups of grated carrots

1 ½ cups of crushed pineapple, lightly drained

½ cup of raisins

1/3 cup of pecans, chopped

Cooking spray 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour through cinnamon in a meduimish bowl and whisk together. Combine oil, and eggs in another bowl (I use my mixer bowl) and mix well. Add the pineapple, carrots, and raisins, to the egg mixture and stir up again till well combined. Add the two mixtures together till just blended. Pour batter into a 13 x 9 baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the batter evenly and bake for 25-30 minutes till it springs back at you when you touch it in the middle. Now for the hard part, wait to frost it till after it cools. 

Cream cheese frosting is an entire subject all on its own.  I have experimented with this one endlessly, and still am. One of the secrets I have found to reducing the fat in this frosting is to eliminate the butter. Really, you won’t miss it. The other big secret, other than using Neufchatel cheese, is to use a lot less powdered sugar than usually requested. You won’t miss it either. Try to remember to put the cream cheese out on the counter when you start to bake the cake. This frosting is so much easier to make when the cream cheese is at room temperature. But fortunately for us forgetful types, it works fine cold, you just have to blend it a lot longer. Fat free cream cheese works well too, if you can find it around here. 

Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting 

1 - 8 ounce block of lower fat cream cheese or Neufchatel

¾ to 1 cup of powder sugar

2 teaspoons of Vanilla

½ teaspoon of ground cardamom

¼ cup of unsweetened coconut flakes 

Drop the cream cheese in the mixer bowl and blend a bit, then add the powder sugar. Turn off the mixer before you do this, or else. When the sugar and cream cheese is well mixed add the rest of the ingredients. Frost the cake and do the bunny hop around the kitchen. Enjoy!

 Nutritional Information per square, frosted, if you cut the cake into 16 squares.CALORIES- 325,  FAT – 9 g       

Oh, the Mysterious and Misunderstood Egg

“Oh eggs within thine oval shell, What palate tickling joys do dwell.”
unknown 

Let Us Consider the Egg.

That simple, oval, package has caused quite a stir throughout history. Who knows where it all started, with the chicken or the egg? (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.)  We do know that it is an ancient universal symbol of spring, representing new life and rebirth. It is fitting that eggs are a particularly important part of the spring season. Not only do they represent nourishment for a new beginning but also chickens start to lay their eggs again at this time, after taking a break in the darkest months. 

Eggs are truly a super food.  They basically, put in an eggshell, contain all the minerals that the human body needs to be healthy.  They are rich in the B vitamin family, and also contribute vitamins A and D. In particular, egg yolks are one of the greatest sources of riboflavin, B12, and choline, which helps develop the brain in utero, but also helps to stave off memory loss.  Lord, knows we all need that! The egg also provides significant amounts of zinc, important for wound healing, and fighting infection; selenium, an important antioxidant; and calcium. I could go on and on, but Ill spare you. 

Eggs have suffered a bad rap in the latest part of history due to their cholesterol content. However, recent studies have produced some interesting information. One such research, from a large combined study, has shown that consuming up to one egg a day is unlikely to affect the risk of coronary heart disease in healthy people. It is important to note here that The American Heart Association recommends no more than 4 eggs yolks a week, for a person who has high cholesterol or heart disease. 

 There is also a current study on happy chicken’s eggs, you know the ones who get to run around the yard and eat grass. The eggs from these chickens have been shown to have 1/3 less cholesterol, ¼ less saturated fats, 2/3 more vitamin A, 7 times more beta carotene, and 3 times more vitamin E! Wow! So support you local egg lady and buy those happy eggs! 

I have experimented with many different recipes with eggs, seeming I have a fruitful supply from the back yard. This next recipe is my personal favorite stuffed egg.  I always make these on Easter day for new beginnings.  

Spring Stuffed Eggs 

12 hard boiled eggs

½ cup finely chopped

96% fat free Canadian bacon

2 tablespoons of minced chives or green onions

1 tablespoon of minced fresh parsley

1-2 tablespoons of low-fat mayo

1 ½ teaspoons of Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon of fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper

Smoked paprika 

Peel the eggs then cut them in half length ways. Lay out the whites in an attractive pattern on a special plate.  Place 8 yolks and 2 eggs whites in a bowl and squish them up with a fork and knife until well blended. (Give the extra yolks to the dog or Uncle Harry), add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix well. Stuff the egg whites with a spoonful of the yolk mixture. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and serve to some very lucky souls. 

Nutritional info per one egg half; 42 calories, 2 grams of fat 

This next recipe is a great breakfast for Easter morning.  

Banana French Toast 

1 cup of smashed bananas

½ teaspoon of lemon juice

4 slices of 1” cut good bread

1 cup of skim or 1% milk

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

2 teaspoons of vanilla1 teaspoon of cinnamon

½ teaspoon of cardamom

¼ teaspoon of baking powder

3 large eggs3 egg whites 

Mix the bananas with the lemon juice. Cut a pocket into the bread slices and stuff with the bananas. Combine all the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk like mad till well mixed. Place the stuffed bread in a baking dish and pour the egg mixture over them turning to coat well. Cover up those babies and let chill for 45 minutes to an hour. Fire up the griddle, coat with cooking spray and cook about 4- 5 minutes on each side till cooked through. Enjoy with maple syrup and fresh sliced bananas on top.  

Nutritional Information per one slice, with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup; 350 calories, 6 grams of fat. 

Hoppy Easter, some bunny loves you! 

Taking time for Tea

Come along inside... We’ll see if tea and
buns can make the world a better place.
~The Wind in the Willows~

I can’t think of anything as nurturing as a cup of tea, cradled lovingly in the hands, with the steam rolling up into your senses, promising to make the world a better place. 

Tea is one of the oldest and most revered of drinks in the world. It dates back at least 5,000 years. The legend has it that when a Chinese emperor was out cavorting around the country side, the party stopped to have a bite to eat. This very clever fellow had decreed earlier in his reign that all water be boiled before drinking, so the royal party set about boiling their water. Some leaves from a nearby tree fell into the water and voila! Tea was born! It soon spread around the east like wild fire and was eventually elevated to an art form by the Japanese.  Those globe trotting Europeans got a hold of it in the 14 century the rest is history. 

Any culture you look at tea has made its loving foot print in. It represents slowing down, enjoying the moment and breathing. Tea is a sanctuary in itself, warm, inviting and soul fostering. Making your own tea raises the ritual to another level. Tea is also a good way drink your recommended 8 glasses of water. You can get all the ingredients for these teas at Mother Nature’s in Manzanita. Remember there is no exact science here, just your imagination limits you. 

My personal fav is Chai tea. Chai comes from India where the word simply means tea. The aromatic spices in this tea warm and stimulate the digestive system while nourishing the body and soul. Making your own chai is fun and rewarding.  Here is my personal favorite chai recipe. This is for one quart of tea.  I use the spice mixture sometimes for a second quart and it works fine, just a little diluted. Refrigerate any left over tea.

 Yogi Chai Tea 

1 quart of filtered water

1 teaspoon of whole black peppercorns

2 teaspoons whole cardamom seeds

3 inch stick of cinnamon, broken