Tag: low fat milk
Honey Orange Walnut Cake- Great for Rosh Hashanah
This cake is delicious- everyone loved it. It was light yet very moist due to the honey orange syrup.
Try it for the upcoming holiday.
- 1 ¼ cup white whole-wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
Mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and orange zest in a medium bowl. Whisk to aerate. Keep aside.
- ¾ cup raw sugar
- 1/3 cup extra light olive oil
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup 1% milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup toasted chopped walnuts
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour a 9 inch round cake pan.
Beat the sugar and olive oil in an electric mixture for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat for another 2 minutes. Add the milk and mix for 30 seconds and add the walnuts. Add the dry mixture to the wet and mix well and pour into the round cake pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the done. Let cool and take out of pan onto a flat platter.
Honey Orange Syrup
- 1 cup honey
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
In a small saucepan, combine the honey, water and orange juice. Bring to a boil and cook on simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn heat off and slowly drizzle the honey syrup on to the hot cake. Repeat till all of the syrup is absorbed.
Let the cake cool before serving.
Healthy Shrimp Bisque
- 12 ounces jumbo shrimp, deveined and shelled
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
Heat a large saucepan with the olive oil. Saute the shrimp on high heat for 30 seconds on each side. Sprinkle salt and take out onto a lined platter. Cut each shrimp into three and keep aside.
- ¼ cup pancetta, chopped
- 2 large shallots, chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ cup carrots, chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup white wine
- 1½ cups seafood or shrimp broth
- 1½ cups low-fat milk
- Salt
- ¼ cup half and half
- Juice of half a lemon
Add the pancetta into the same saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic and carrots. Saute for another 2 minutes. Add the thyme and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the white wine and scrape off the brown bits from the bottom. Add the broth and milk. Whisk the liquid on high heat and bring to a boil making sure all the lumps are smoothed away. Lower the heat and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the shrimp pieces and cook for 2 to 3 minutes making sure the shrimp is cooked. Add the half and half and turn the heat off. Check for seasonings and add salt if necessary. Add the lemon juice and serve hot with crusty bread.
Orange Cardamom Panna Cotta
I have decided to do all desserts this week in honor of Valentines day. I may disappoint all the chocolate lovers out there.. most of the desserts are fruit based- something different for V-Day!
I love any custardy dessert…I find them very comforting. This panna cotta is comforting and healthy at the same time. I have used cream, which can be substituted with all milk. Either way, this dessert is delicious, especially topped with fresh chopped oranges.
- ¼ cup 2% milk
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
Add the milk to a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin and let sit and absorb.
- ½ cup 2% milk
- ½ cup cream
- 3 to 4 cardamom pods, crushed
- 1/3 cup agave (add more according to taste)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups plain non-fat Greek yogurt
Add the milk, cream, cardamom and agave to a medium saucepan and simmer without boiling for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn heat off and add the gelatin mixture. Whisk well to make sure the gelatin dissolves. Add the vanilla extract and yogurt. Taste and add more agave if needed.
Pour into small bowls and refrigerate overnight. Make sure to cover with plastic wrap.
Orange Topping
- 2 navel oranges, peeled, segmented, chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
Add the chopped orange segments to a small bowl. Add the vanilla sugar and let sit for an hour. Top the panna cottas with the topping before serving.
Cauliflower and Pancetta Macaroni and Cheese
I had tons of cauliflower in the fridge and I needed to use it up. I could have made an Indian preparation but thought I should do something different. I had also just bought this weird looking pasta from Whole Foods. It was a spirally one and my daughter thought it was great looking.
I decided to make a macaroni and cheese dish. I started with some chopped pancetta and fresh thyme. I added the chopped cauliflower and sauteed for a few minutes. I then added the flour and made a bechamel sauce. I also had an aged Gruyere- it complements the earthy cauliflower beautifully.
The whole dish took no time to cook. My daughter initially had a closed mind when she heard what was in the dish but one she tasted it, she got over it.
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Blueberry and Orange Duffins
Here is my latest version of our favorite sweet snack. My daughter loves duffins and can’t get enough of them. She is always reminding me to make more.
Honestly- I keep forgetting or get too busy- and then remind myself how quick they are to make. I am usually done mixing them before my oven gets to the right temperature.
So, I finally decided to make them as I got back from Trader Joes. I bought dried wild blueberries and planned on adding them to the duffins. I paired the blueberries with some orange zest. I added half the amount of the milk in the original and substituted orange juice for the other half. The combination of the zest and the juice imparted wonderful flavor to the duffins.
I tasted one as they came out of the oven and really liked it but was a bit afraid my daughter may not enjoy the flavor. I gave one to her later in the afternoon and she claimed they were the best duffins I have ever made.
So, there you go- try the blueberry and orange ones- they are really good.
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Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes and Spinach
My daughter’s friend was coming over for dinner and I didn’t have anything to serve. I didn’t want to cook the boxed macaroni and cheese and so decided to make my own. There is nothing wrong with the boxed kind (especially the healthy ones) – I do make it once in a while but I try not to serve it very often.
The fact is it doesn’t take very long to make your own from scratch. I made the bechamel or white sauce quickly and added the shredded cheese. I boiled whole grain pasta on the side and added that to the mix. I had some homemade tomato sauce which I added as well. Now, in order to make it balance, I needed to come up with a vegetable. I always have frozen spinach in the freezer. I added some of that as well and put it all in an oven proof pan and baked it for about twenty minutes. Best of all- it was a one pot meal- yay!!!
The kids enjoyed it but did not appreciate me calling the pasta macaroni and cheese. They informed me anything with spinach and tomato sauce is not mac and cheese….
- ½ pound whole grain penne or elbow pasta, cooked al dente
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup homemade tomato sauce
- 1 cup frozen chopped spinach
- Salt
In a large frying pan heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or till soft. Add thyme and basil. Sprinkle the flour and sauté for a minute. Add the milk and whisk gently to remove lumps. Bring to a boil and simmer till thickened. Add cheese and mix well. Add the spinach and tomato sauce. Mix well and add salt. Add the cooked pasta and place in an oven proof container. Bake in a 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
Chocolate Rice Pudding with Amaretto Cream
My daughter loves chocolate pudding and I love rice pudding (actually she loves rice pudding as well). I love a generous portion of rice pudding with a sprinkle of a good Vietnamese ground cinnamon on top. It is the most delicious thing ever.
My husband, on the other hand, thinks rice should only be eaten with savory dishes. He does not relish any dessert made out of rice- what- seriously?? I love desserts made out of rice. Rich, creamy and delicious. My daughter, on the other hand, like me, loves all kinds of rice desserts.
I made this dessert combining chocolate and rice puddings together. I used arborio rice and cooked it in milk. I then added chocolate, sugar and vanilla extract. Once the pudding came together, I served it hot but with a twist. I whipped some heavy cream and added amaretto liquor and almond extract with some sugar. I served the dessert with the whipped cream and some toasted, sliced almonds.
It was absolutely out of this world delicious. It can be served cold as well but I prefer it hot. Either way, it makes a fabulous end to any meal- in the winter or the summer.
Try this one- I bet your kids will like it too…
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