California Style

Salads

My Coleslaw Recipe

2/3 cup slivered almonds

1 cabbage shredded

1cup carrots shredded

1 cup thinly sliced green onions (including greens)

1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped

1 red bell pepper cubed

Dressing ingredients

3 Tbsp white wine or rice vinegar

2 Tbsp natural sugar

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 clove peeled and crushed garlic

1/2 teaspoon sesame or olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

1/4 t. cajun seasoning or to taste

1 cup mayonnaise

1 Spread almond slivers out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes, until nicely browned. Set aside.

2 Combine cabbage, carrots, green onions, cilantro and parsley in a large bowl. Can make this step a day or two ahead.

3.Mix in the rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, crushed garlic, sesame or olive oil, ginger, cajun seasoning and cayenne powder. Then add the Mayo. Stir well to mix. grind almonds and mix in as well. (I also threw in dried cranberries which can now be purchased at Lotus and Big C.)

4 Can be refrigerated overnight

6-10 servings

This can be served as a coleslaw sandwich. Be sure to use fresh homemade buns or rolls. Add a fish filet or barbequed meat if you like.

Sauces

pasta sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (any combination, basil oregano thyme are my favorites)

2 cloves pounded garlic

one or two cans of chopped italian tomatoes

1 T. sugar or to taste

salt, pepper, cajun spice, crushed red pepper and parmesean cheese to taste

Directions:

stir fry galic and olive oil lightly, toss in your herbs and stir once to coat. Let sizzle a few seconds. throw in your tomatoes, stir, add spices and turn off heat when heated through. Toss with cooked pasta adding sauce to the pasta a little at a time. I do individual servings some throwing in extra red pepper and some with parmesean cheese.

Basil puree

Description:

You make the Puree and then freeze in 2T. amounts in freezer containers or bags. When you get ready to make pesto, or stir fry spagetti noodles or anything else you want to flavor with basil.

Ingredients:

1 cup of fresh basil or combination of basil and oregano or basil and thyme (especially good)

1/4 cup olive oil or more to taste.

1/4 t. salt

1 clove garlic

Directions:

Whirl ingredients in food processor and freeze.

For Spagetti noodles: Take cooked noodles, drained well. Put 1T. olive oil in pan and heat throw in the basil and garlic puree. toss the noodles until coated. turn off heat. sprinke with parmesean cheese (fresh grated) add fresh ground black pepper and red crushed pepper if desired. For a nice twist add cajun spice to the dish! For using with bread. Thaw the mixture and add chopped tomatoes. For making pesto thaw the basil mixture adding chopped almonds or pine nuts and some sun dried tomatoes in the food processor. Use for pizza, pasta or bread Wonderful and fresh!

Tenderloin au jus

Cut up a 1-2 lb. beef tenderlion into 3 inch cubes.

freeze

place frozen meat in crock pot

add: 1 cup water

turn on high

let cook for 5 hours.

add 2-4 T. mushroom soy sauce or braggs amino acid sauce

cook one more hour

These are appoximate times.

Just before serving

set out the meat and let sit for 5 min. then slice

Drain the jus and set the sliced meat back in the jus.

For another Variation:

2 T. flour in 1/4 cup water, melt flour in water till smooth.

Add crushed garlic, herbs, beef boullion seasoning, cajun spice and black pepper to taste. Boil gravy together till thickened a bit.

Add the sliced meat to the gravy or serve in a gravy boat as a sauce for the sliced meat.

Smoothies

Apricot & Rum

(serves one)

1 cup of milk (non fat)

1 T. Almond Butter

1 t. honey

3 apricots, fresh or dried that have been soaked

1/4 t. rum flavoring

nutmeg (optional)

Dash of Vanilla

4 ice cubes

whirl together in a blender till ice is blended

Banana Raspberry

serves one

1 sweet banana

1 cup milk

1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

4 ice cubes

Whirl together in blender till ice is blended.

Chocolate and Almonds

1T. almond butter

1 t. honey

1/2 t. cocoa pwdr.

Mix together and use as a dip or spread

or blend with ice and milk

or blend with hot coffee and milk or just hot milk

Biscotti with cranberries and walnuts

Makes about 2 dozen.

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 t. almond extract

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup dried sweetened cranberries

3/4 cup shelled natural unsalted walnuts

6 ounces imported white chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift first 3 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to blend well. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in almond and vanilla extract. Beat in flour mixture just until blended. Stir in cranberries and walnuts (dough will be sticky). Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Gather dough together; divide in half. Roll each half into 15-inch-long log (about 1 1/4 inches wide). Carefully transfer logs to 1 prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart.

Bake logs until almost firm to touch but still pale, about 28 minutes. Cool logs on baking sheet 10 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

Carefully transfer logs still on parchment to cutting board. Using serrated knife and gentle sawing motion, cut logs crosswise into generous 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place slices, 1 cut side down, on remaining 2 prepared sheets. Bake until firm and pale golden, about 9 minutes per side. Transfer cookies to racks and cool.

Line another baking sheet with waxed paper. Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water just until smooth. Remove from over water. Dip 1 end of each cookie into melted chocolate, tilting pan if necessary; shake off excess chocolate. Place cookies on prepared sheet. Chill until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.

(Can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.) 

http://dailybreadkitchen.blogspot.com/

Peanut Butter

Did you know there is a wonderful alterntative to buying expensive, sugary, oily, and not very fresh peanut butter?

I have discovered making my own peanut butter is quick, easy and so much fun. But most importantly it is so much more delicious. Spread on a thick slice of homemade multigrain bread, it is the taste you will never forget. It gets pretty addicting.

The cost of peanut butter here is about 3.50 US dollars. But for less than 75 cents, I can make the same amount of peanut butter from raw peanuts. All you need to do is add a bit of salt. No oils! The calorie difference is wonderful with less sugar and less fat!

Here is my photo journey in making peanut butter.

Roast raw peanuts in the oven at 350 F. until golden brown.

Use your grinder attachment to make the peanut butter.

While peanuts are still warm, place a portion of your nuts in the grinder (about half full) and grind till the peanut butter begins to stick to the sides.

Add salt if desired, about a 1/4 t. and then grind more about 2 min.

Place in container and store upside down in refrigerator.

Hope you love your healthy lower fat, lower sugar fresh peanut butter.

Last couple days I have been cooking. With the change of weather, nothing we ate in the winter seems appropriate. I looked on the net for summer dishes and went to the grocery store to get all the ingredients. When I got home...funny... it clouded up and started to turn cool again. Well, this was actually perfect, since a friend dropped by an apple cake recipe and I was just waiting for the weather to cool down so I could try it.

Oh Boy!! This is the best! Simply must try!! Now the recipe doesn't call for an icing, but I like to glaze my tube cakes, so I just put some powdered sugar and milk together with a little almond and vanilla extract and poured it on the cake while still hot. Sprinkle hot cake with cinnamon sugar first and then pour on the glaze for an extra special treat if you like cinnamon!

Fresh Apple Cake

2 cups of sugar

1 1/2 cups. oil

3 eggs

3c. flour

1t. soda

1t. baking powder

1t. salt

1t. cinnamon

1t. nutmeg

1 cup chopped nuts- i used walnuts

1 cup chopped dates

3 cups granny smith apples chopped.

2 t. vanilla

Mix sugar and oil at high speed for one min. add eggs one at a time beating one minute each. mix dry ingredients to which dates have been added. add sugar mixture and fold in apples, nuts and vanilla.

Pour into greased and floured tube pan and bake 1 1/2 hours at 325 F.

Ice with glaze if desired.

Let cool for 15 min on a rack

Easy Granola

You can stir this granola in a wok!

This recipe saves time (oven methods could take up to two hours) and money (the gas or electricity used by the oven.)

1. Put together in a bowl:

4 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup non fat dry milk powder

1 cup dried fruit (I used cranberries)

½ cup walnuts or almonds ground fine or chopped (my kids are picky about nuts but if I grind them up fine in the blender, they will eat them.

½ cup dried coconut ground fine or chopped (optional)

¼ cup wheat germ (optional)

1 T. Cinnamon

2. In a wok, melt:

1 cup brown sugar

¼ cup water

1 t. vanilla

3. Stir the brown sugar syrup into the oat mixture.

4. pour ½ cup olive oil and heat in the wok.

(you could use melted butter)

5. Add the oat mixture to the oil and butter

Stir until mixture is all mixed and starts to brown.

6. Put out on cookie sheet to dry.

7. Keep in airtight container.

Yields 8 cups and is 111 calories per ¼ cup.

Apple Oatmeal Muffins

2 1/2 Cups whole wheat flour

2 cups oatmeal -quick

4 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda

dash salt

stir together

then blend liquid ingredients in blender:

4 eggs

1/2 olive oil

2/3 cup honey

1 cup milk

blend with dry ingredients.

add four cups diced apples.

Stir and put in muffin tins

Opt:

Drop one small teaspoon of raspberry jam in middle of each muffin.

Bake:

350 degree oven for 18 min.

Date Recipes:

Anyone who has tasted a fresh date knows the crispness, coolness and honey-like sweetness of this common Middle Eastern jewel; they never forget its flavor. .In the date-growing areas around the world, (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Isreal,India) many people have dates and milk for breakfast. Dates appear in all sorts of recipes, stewed in meat sauces, cooked and flavored as a dessert or made into a thick molasses syrup. Dates are rich in fiber, potassium, B-complex vitamins, magnesium and iron.

Following are some recipes using dates, both sweet and savory. Most are suitable for any occasion, some are exotically delicious.

Stuffed Dates

8 oz. box pitted dried dates
3 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar plus extra for dusting
1 tbsp. grated orange peel

Make a slit down each date. Mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar and orange peel. Fill each date with cream cheese mix. Refrigerate. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar just before serving.

Other delicious stuffings: Peanut butter, almonds, walnuts, pecans, ricotta cheese, marzipan

Date-Almond Truffles

1 1/4 cups toasted slivered almonds

1 cup pitted dates

1 tablespoon orange blossom water (available in Middle Eastern

groceries)

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamo

1/2 cup shredded coconut

In food processor, blend almonds, dates, orange blossom water, honey, and cinnamon until finely chopped. Alternately, chop nuts and dates well and mix with other ingredients.

Form into 1-inch balls. Roll in coconut, pressing to coat lightly. Place them in miniature paper candy cups. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Stuffed Date Cookies

1 lb. pitted dates
24 walnuts, halved

Dough:

1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Put a nut piece inside each date.

Mix dough ingredients together.

Cover each nut-stuffed date with dough. Put on cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees 8-10 minutes. Cool.

Frosting:

1/3 cup butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Heat butter to boiling until light brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Add hot water until frosting is easy to spread.

Spread frosting on each cookie.

Tropical Date Loaf

1 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup boiling water

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

2/3 cup flour

1/4 cup shredded coconut

Soak dates in the water for 15 minutes.

Cream butter and sugar, then add the egg. Stir in the flour, coconut and dates.

Spread into a greased, floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes.

Stand for 5 minutes before turning out on a rack to cool.

Orange Date Cake

1 1/2 cups butter

3 cups sugar

6 eggs, separated

2 cups buttermilk

3 Tbsp. grated orange rind

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 lb. chopped dates

2 1/2 cups pecans, chopped

6 cups flour

Glaze:

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup orange juice

2 to 3 tbsp. finely grated orange peel

Cream butter and 1 1/2cups sugar until light. Beat egg yolks until lemon colored. Add to creamed mixture. Add buttermilk and grated orange peel. Mix well.

Toss dates and pecans with 1 cup of the flour until well coated.

Mix remaining flour and other dry ingredients. Add add to creamed mixture. Stir in with nuts and dates.

Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold gently into batter. Pour into greased and floured Bundt cake pan and bake at 400 for one hour and fifteen minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven, invert on plate.

Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle on cake while cake is still hot.

Date-Oat Quick Bread

2 1/2 cups flour

21/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup quick rolled oats

8 ounces dates, chopped

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 1/4 cups milk

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in sugar. Stir in oats and dates.

In a separate small bowl, beat egg with milk, then stir in melted butter and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and stir until evenly moist.