Misc. Recipes

Corn Muffins

Vegetable cooking spray or unsalted butter for greasing muffin tin.
1/2 c. + 1 1/4 c. yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
1/2 c. cake flour
1/2 c. sugar
3/4 t. salt
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 c. rapidly boiling water
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 12-hole muffin tin with vegetable cooking spray or coat lightly with butter.
Measure 1/2 cup cornmeal into medium bowl. Whisk remaining 1 1/4 c. cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda together in small bowl; set aside.
Pour 1/3 c. boiling water all at once into the 1/2 cup cornmeal; whisk quickly to combine. Continue adding water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixtures forms thick mush. Whisk in buttermilk gradually, breaking up lumps until smooth, then whisk in eggs. Stir dry ingredients into mush mixture until just moistened. Stir in melted butter just until incorporated. Ladle batter into greased muffin tin, filling holes almost to rim.
Bake until muffins are golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Set tin on wire rack to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and serve warm or at room temperature.
Note: If you like a cakier, sweet cornbread, bake this batter in a greased 8-inch cast-iron skillet or square pan for 25 minutes.

Exquisite Pizza Sauce

“This gourmet pizza sauce is so full of flavor, you may skip the toppings altogether! Just steep tomato paste, water and Parmesan cheese with garlic, honey, anchovy paste, onion powder, oregano, marjoram, basil, salt and three kinds of pepper. “
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
6 fluid ounces warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
salt to taste
In a small bowl, combine tomato paste, water, Parmesan cheese, garlic, honey, anchovy paste, onion powder, oregano, marjoram, basil, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and salt; mix together, breaking up any clumps of cheese.
Sauce should sit for 30 minutes to blend flavors; spread over pizza dough and prepare pizza as desired.

Baked Hot Chocolate

5 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
10 oz semi-sweet chocolate - (baking squares)
1 stick butter
6 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 oz white chocolate - (baking squares) per serving
Mix together yolks and 1/3 c. sugar with mixer for 2-3 min.
Melt together chocolate and butter in double boiler
Smooth chocolate and butter mixture with whip
Stir in yolk/sugar mixture
Whip whites to stiff peaks (add 1/3 c. sugar during the whipping)
Fold in whites to chocolate/butter/yolk/sugar mixture
Put into buttered & sugared coffee mugs about 2/3 full
Put 1/2 oz white chocolate square chunk in middle of each mug
Place rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Arrange ovenproof coffee cups or mugs or 8 ounce ramekins in a baking or roasting pan.
 Spoon batter into cups. Add enough very hot water to the baking pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake 15 to 20 minutes. The baked hot chocolates will be done when the tops lose their glossy finish. A wooden skewer inserted in the top will emerge clean but batter toward the bottom of the cup will still be very moist.
 Carefully remove cups from pan. The cakes can be served warm, at room temp. or covered and refrigerated for up to one day. To reheat, bring to room temp, and place in preheated 350 degree oven for 5 minutes, or until warm.

Sweet Potato Casserole

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes - (3 medium), peeled -and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 large eggs
1 T. canola oil
1 T. honey
1/2 c. 1% milk
2 t. freshly grated orange zest
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. salt - or to taste
Topping:
1/2 c. whole-wheat flour
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
4 t. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 T. canola oil
1 T. butter, melted
1/2 c. chopped pecans - (1 3/4 ounces)
Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well and return to the pan. Mash with a potato masher. Measure out 3 cups. (Reserve any extra for another use.)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch-square (or similar 2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
Whisk eggs, oil and honey in a medium bowl. Add mashed sweet potato and mix well. Stir in milk, orange zest, vanilla and salt. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish.
To prepare topping: Mix flour, brown sugar, orange juice concentrate, oil and butter in a small bowl. Blend with a fork or your fingertips until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.
Bake the casserole until heated through and the top is lightly browned, 35 to 45 minutes

Sweet Potato Whip

12 sweet potatoes - (pricked all over with a fork)
1/2 c. nonfat plain yogurt
4 c. defatted chicken broth substitute
2 1/4 pounds carrots
1/4 t. cinnamon or mace to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Bake the sweet potatoes at 375 for 1 hr and 15 min. or until soft. Let them cool to room temperature.
Cook the carrots in the broth until tender 20 to 25 minutes Reserve 1/2 c of broth.
Scoop out the inside of the cooled potatoes into a large bowl add the carrots, 1/2 c of broth, yogurt and cinnamon.
Mash together and then put 1/2 in a food processor then do the other half. Mix together.
Put in the oven for 15 minutes at 375 before serving.
COMMENTS: The carrots help alleviate the sweetness of the potatoes.
The food processor is not necessary if you have a good potato masher and the carrots are tender enough.
This was a great dish to prepare the night before. Except that before serving you would need to put it in the oven for 30 minutes instead of 15 minutes. Print this post