Mother's Day Classic Desserts

Why not treat mom to a classic dessert this Mother's Day!

 

Choose from old favorites:

 

·          Strawberry Shortcake Jelly Roll

·         Guiltless Strawberry Cheesecake

·         Guiltless-er I Strawberry Cheesecake (sugar-free)

·         Guiltless-er II Strawberry Cheesecake (gluten-free)

·         Tiramisu

·         Honey Almond Cake (gluten-free)

 

New additions:

·         Flourless Espresso Cake (gluten-free)

·         Apple Crumb Croustades 

 

Complete dinners also available!

Apple Crumb Croustades

I normally shy away from recipes that call for anything resembling pie crust. But I had some apples I wanted to use and the rest of the dinner was simple enough to prepare, so I gave this a go. This is going to be a staple for entertaining as well as just me and Rod.

CRUST:
1 c flour
1/8 tsp salt
3 tbsp chilled butter, cut into small pieces
3-1/2 tbsp ice water

Combine flour that has been lightly spooned into a measuring cup with salt. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water, stir until just moist. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead 5 times. Divide into 4 portions. Place each portion between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and roll into 6” circles. Chill 10 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and place on baking sheet lined with parchment.
Preheat oven to 350°.

FILLING:
2 c chopped Granny Smith apple
1-1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1 tbsp flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp water
1 egg white

Combine apples and juice; toss to coat. Add sugar, salt and cinnamon; toss to combine. Place 1/4 of the mixture in the center of the dough circle leaving a border. Fold edges of dough toward center, pressing gently (dough will only cover part of the apple mixture. Combine the egg white and water; brush gently over outside of the crust.

TOPPING:
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Combine ingredients and cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle evenly over each croustade.
Bake 45 minutes.

Yields 4 servings

From Cooking Light, October 2005

Thai Marinated Halibut

Question: What do you make with left over coconut milk and fresh halibut that is on special?
Answer: Thai Marinated Halibut

2 pounds halibut, cut into 6 pieces
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 long, red chili, seeded & chopped
3 tbsp Thai basil, chopped, divided
1 tbsp sugar
3 limes, divided
1-2/3 cup light coconut milk
1 tbsp fish sauce

Place garlic, chili, 2 tbsp of the basil and sugar in a food processor. Grate the rind of one of the limes and add to the mixture along with the juice of that lime. Process into a rough paste. Add the coconut milk and mix well.
Place halibut pieces in a shallow dish; cover with the marinade and refrigerate for one hour. Remove from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Drain the marinade and reserve.
In the meantime, prepare the grill. When coals are ready, add the fish and cook for 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes with a fork.
Strain the marinade. Pour the milk into a saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Add the sieve contents and continue to simmer 1 minute more. Stir in the fish sauce and the remaining Thai basil.
Place fish on a deep serving plate and pour over the sauce. Cut the remaining limes into wedges and serve with halibut.

This recipe was adapted from “Grill – Stylish Food to Sizzle” by Linda Tubby.

Cook Books I Enjoy

I often sit down with a cook book and page through it while I am eating lunch or breakfast. There aren’t many that I don’t enjoy to some degree. The ones with pictures are nice, but can sometimes be misleading. Even though I have followed the recipe exactly (okay – almost exactly) the final result doesn’t always look the way it is pictured. And I like cook books that give some sort of history to the recipe. Suggestions of alternate ingredients or accompaniments are nice also. Not that I always pair things they way suggested, but it does let me know if someone else is thinking along the lines that I am for a meal.
Here are some of my favorites and why I like them:
· “Hot Wok”, “Hot Pasta”, “Hot Barbecue”, “Hot Chicken” – Carpenter & Sandison. I started with “Hot Wok” in ’96. The authors have a great way of blending tasty ingredients from different ethnic cuisines. I lean toward the recipes that don’t use a lot of oil and even then I reduce the called for amount without sacrificing the quality of the dish. Since then I have added the other books to my collection and use them all. Great pictures!
· “ Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites” – good introductions to the recipes. This became a member of my collection in 1998. The Italian Fish Stew only needs some crushed red pepper to make it perfect.
· “Conscious Cuisine” - Cary Neff . This cook book is a great one for putting together an elegant meal. Some of the recipes require some extra effort – but it is well worth it. I have been using this cookbook for entertaining since 2003. Fabulous pictures, but my dishes don’t always look the same.
· “Complete Grilling Cookbook” – Williams-Sonoma. Another collection of recipes that won’t let you down when you want to impress the guests. Their menu for a Mediterranean Feast is a staple for summertime entertaining. I discovered this cook book in a library when I was visiting my best friend and she asked me to cook for some guests that evening. That was 2004. We are using it again for the same reason this coming weekend.
· “Favorite Recipes from Around the World” – The Meatless Gourmet, Bobbie Hinman. I found this in a used book store in 2002. Divided into seven different regions, I always fall back on this book for a dish or two when I am doing an ethnic meal. The recipes are simple, tasty and often very creative in the use of ingredients to prepare healthy versions of popular ethnic dishes.
· “Mexican Light – Healthy Cuisine for Today’s Cook” – Kris Rudolph. The left hand page is in Spanish, the right in English. Each recipe suggests alternatives for lower fat or lower carbohydrate versions of the dish. It has been in my collection since 2007.
· “India with Passion” – Manju Malhi. Updated Indian cooking that is healthy and tasty. Also added in 2007, this gives me a reason to visit the Indian grocery store.
· “Arabesque – A Taste of Morocco, Turkey & Lebanon” – Claudia Roden. I received this as a present from one of the members of my book club this past year. It is the source of most of the recipes I am using for the Artists’ Reception at Art & Framing at Stapleton next month.
· “Cooking Light “ – Between 3 dozen or so magazines and 6 of their books compiling a year’s worth of recipes, I can always find something to inspire me!

Art & Framing at Stapleton

You are invited to the opening of

"All Colorado"

Artisits' Reception

May 15, 2009

6:00 - 9:00 PM

Art & Framing at Stapleton

7483 E 29th Place

Stapleton Town Center

Featured Artists:

Deborah McAllister

Joan Rossberg

Lelija Roy

Ron Leraaen

http://www.artandframingstapleton.com/

Food provided by the Guiltless Gourmet

Turkish Chicken w/Plums & Bulgur Pilaf

Chicken, plums, allspice, cinnamon, bulgur, walnuts – not the typical combination we throw together for a quick meal. But if you have an hour and want something foreign to your taste buds, here is a dish to consider. Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients – I really did this in an hour.
This was inspired by several recipes from Claudia Roden’s “Arabesque – A Taste of Morocco, Turkey & Lebanon”. I combine two recipes and eliminated much of the fat for a healthy, tasty meal. As the tagline says “All of the taste….none of the guilt”.

CHICKEN
2 tsp Olive Oil
3 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
2 Chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground
3 Red plums, cut into 8 sections each
2 tbsp Apple juice concentrate
1 tsp White wine vinegar
1 clove Garlic, minced
Pinch Red pepper flakes
1 tsp Corn starch
1 tbsp water

BULGUR PILAF
1 tsp Olive oil
1/4 cup Red onion, chopped
1/2 cup Bulgur
3/4 cup Chicken stock
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Allspice
2 tbsp Walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground

In a large skillet, heat the oil. Sauté the sliced garlic 5 seconds. Add the chicken breasts. When partially cooked, add the plums, salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is done and plums are tender.
In a small saucepan, combine the apple juice and vinegar; add the minced garlic and simmer 3-4 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes. Combine the cornstarch with the water; add to mixture and bring to a low boil. Cook until slightly thickened.
While the chicken is cooking, sauté the onion in a separate pan until slightly golden. Add the bulgur and the next 3 ingredients. Cook 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the bulgur is tender. Add the toasted walnuts, salt and pepper.
Add the sauce to the chicken and plums. Serve atop the bulgur pilaf.

Yields 2 servings
© Donna Detter 2009

South of the Border Dinner

Black Bean & Corn Salsa
Orange Jicama Salad
Peppered Corn Muffins
Polo Mole Verde
Donna’s Mexican Rice
Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse à la Orange


Polo Mole Verde – tender, hand-shredded chicken breast in a tasty sauce of toasted pumpkin seeds, tomatillos, and cumin.

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

Orange Jicama Salad

Strawberry Shortcake Updated

Last week I was making a Guiltless Cheesecake and a Honey Almond Cake for clients. By mistake I put the graham cracker crumbs for the cheesecake into the beaten egg yolks in place of the toasted ground almonds. What the heck? I continued with the cake to see what would happen. The result was the following:

Strawberry Shortcake Updated

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
4 large eggs at room temperature, separated
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 lb strawberries, quartered
3 green cardamon pods, crushed
1 clove, crushed
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup red Zinfandel
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 cup whipping cream


Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat a 9" springform pan with
cooking spray. Line with parchment.
Beat 4 egg yolks and the remaining cake ingredients until well combined. Add the graham cracker crumbs and mix well.
Beat the 4 egg whites until very foamy, white and doubled in volume, but not stiff enough to hold peaks. Using a rubber spatula mix egg whites into crumb mixture until just combined.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the cake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen from sides. Remove ring and let cool completely.

Combine the cardamon, clove, sugar and Zinfandel in a small saucepan. Simmer for 3, minutes. Add lemon juice and pour mixture over strawberries. Chill several hours to blend flavors.

Chill mixing bowl and beater in freezer. Add whipping cream and beat until stiff.

Top cake with chilled strawberries and whipped cream.


Yields 10 servings

Copyright Donna Detter (C) 2009

Whole-Wheat Bread/khasta roti

I have always been intimidated by bread making – particularly if it is ethnic breads. When I read the recipe for the roti, it seemed simple enough that I decided to give it a try. It was a successful effort and worth the time!

Whole-Wheat Bread/khasta roti

3-1/4 cups whole-wheat flour,
plus extra for dusting
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds, optional
1-1/4 cups cold water

Sift the flour into a bowl and mix in the other dry ingredients. Add the cold water to form dough. Knead for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside in a warm place for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Divide the dough into 10 balls. Dust with flour and roll into 4” circles. Prick evenly with a fork. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned and slightly bubbly on top.

Yields 10 servings
From “India with Passion – Modern Regional Home Food” by Manju Malhi

A perfect “warm place” is right inside your microwave. Bring a cup of water to boil; remove and add the dough. This works for yeast breads as well as unleavened ones like roti.

An Indian Dinner

MENU

Mango Chutney/aam ka chatni
Whole-Wheat Bread/khasta roti
Spiced Shrimp & Scallops/safed masala
Spiced Squash/ghia ki sabzi
Basmati Rice/basmati chawal
Carrot Cake/gaajar kaki


These dishes were inspired by two of my favorite cookbooks – “The Meatless Gourmet – Favorite Recipes from Around the World” by Bobbie Hinman and “India with Passion – Modern Regional Home Food” by Manju Malhi. The first and last recipes are from the Meatless Gourmet; the others from “India with Passion”. Carrot cake by definition is moist – this one is intensely so. The only variations I made from the given recipe were a substitution of almonds for pistachios and replacing the confectioner’s sugar with an equal amount of honey as the topping. The 1/2 tsp of cardamom captures the Indian essence.
The chutney served double duty. I served it over fat-free cream cheese with sesame rice wafers and then added it to the side of the Spiced Shrimp & Scallops.

Mango Chutney

1 cup semi-ripe mango, diced
1/2 cup raisins
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 tsp salt
1/16 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups water

Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered until mixture is glazed and slightly thickened.
Cool slightly, then chill.

Yields 16 2-tablespoon servings
Copyright Donna Detter (C) 2009

Greek Frittata

A frittata is an Italian omelet that frequently features fillings such as cheese, vegetables and/or meat. I often just clean out the refrigerator which is the case with the following recipe. The thyme and dill add a wonderful Greek touch to the dish.

1 Yellow onion, chopped
2 Russet potatoes, thinly sliced
2 tsp Olive oil
4 oz Mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves Garlic, roasted
1/2 tsp Thyme
1/4 cup Water
5 oz Spinach
2 Eggs
6 Egg whites
1 tsp Dill
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a 10-12inch oven-proof skillet. Sauté onion and potatoes until slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
Add mushrooms, thyme and 1/4 cup water. Cook until mushrooms are slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
In the meantime, steam the spinach. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop and add to skillet. Remove from the heat.
Beat the eggs, egg whites, dill, salt and pepper until evenly colored. Add the vegetable mixture.
Clean the skillet and return to the stove. Heat olive oil. When hot, add egg mixture, cover and cook 6-8 minutes.
Heat broiler and place open skillet in the oven. Broil until the top is firm and slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Loosen carefully from the side and bottom of the skillet and slide onto a serving plate.

Yields 4 servings

A side note – I seldom peel potatoes. One, I don’t like to. Two, a little extra fiber is good.