Archive for Author kelly

Amy’s Pie Crust

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2 cups all purpose flour

½ cup Wondra flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup salted butter, refrigerator temperature

½ cup shortening

1 egg, separated

1 teaspoon white vinegar

cold water

Combine two flours and salt. Cut butter into eighth inch pats and stir into the flour to separate and coat. Put the bowl in the freezer for 15-30 minutes. Dump mixture on counter in thirds and roll out to flatten butter. Return to bowl and cut in shortening. Return bowl to freezer. Mix egg yolk and vinegar in a glass measuring cup. Add water to the yolk mixture until it reaches the 2/3 line. Add wet mix to flour mixture small amounts at a time and blend with spoon or pastry cutter until dry ingredients are moist and form a ball(you may not need to use all your liquid).

Form dough into one or more balls and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour before rolling out for pie crusts.

makes two-three crusts

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Amy’s Mostly Whole Wheat Bread

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Mix –

3  cups water @ 110 degrees Fahrenheit

3 tablespoons dry active yeast

¾ cup semolina flour (buy at the health food store)

1 ½ cups bread flour

Allow to sit at room temperature for 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Add –

3 tablespoons gluten (buy at the health food store)

¼ cup oil

½ teaspoon vitamin C granules (or 1 – 500 mg tablet

crushed)

1 cup cold water mixed with 1 cup crushed ice (8 – 10 ice

cubes) Note – on a cold day, just add 1 ¾ cups water

½ can white wheat (about 7 cups), ground to flour

1 tablespoon sea salt

Knead in electric mixer, let rise, shape into loaves, and rise again.  Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Amy’s Favorite Lemon Meringue Pie

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First, separate three eggs. Eggs separate easier when they are cold, but the whites should sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before you beat them. Avoid making on a humid day and be sure your bowl and utensils are dry when you make the meringue, as it is sensitive to moisture.

Crust –

Combine 1 package (1/3 of a lb box) graham crackers, crushed, 2 tablespoons sugar and 6 tablespoons melted butter. Press into pie plate. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, or until edges start to brown.

Filling –

Combine 1 cup sugar, ¼ cup cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon salt. Blend in ¼ cup cold water. Add 1 cup hot water and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Lower heat and continue to cook until clear.

Add ½ cup lemon juice and I tablespoon lemon zest. Cook two minutes.

Blend hot mixture slowly into 3 slightly beaten egg yolks. Return to pan and cook two more minutes, stirring constantly.

Add 2 tablespoons butter, stir until melted.

Meringue –

Beat three egg whites until frothy. Add and ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar and then gradually add 6 tablespoons sugar, beating between additions. Finally beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla, continuing to beat until stiff.

Pour filling into pie crust, top with meringue and bake at 350 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

adapted from Ann Pillsbury’s Baking Book

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Lemon Cheesecake

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Bottom layer –

Preheat oven to 350 and spray an 8×8 glass pan with cooking spray. Cream ¼ c. butter and 6 T. sugar. Mix well with 2 egg whites and 1 t. lemon zest. Sift together ¾ c. sifted flour and ¾ t. baking powder. Add to butter mixture alternately with ¼ c. milk. Bake for 18-23 minutes, or until cake springs back when poked. While cake is baking, juice a lemon and make the filling for the top layer, set aside. Mix ¼ c. lemon juice and ½ c. sugar. Immediately spread on cake and return to oven for about 5 minutes, until top of cake is dry.

Remove cake from oven, turn the temperature down to 250 and leave the oven door open to cool while you spread the top layer on the bottom layer. Return cake to oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the cheesecake becomes firm-ish. Refrigerate at least four hours or overnight for best results (but we did eat it straight out of the oven, the cheesecake is just runny).

Top layer –

Blend together – ½ c. sour cream, 12 oz. cream cheese, 2 egg yolks, 1 t. vanilla, 1/3 c. sugar. Bang bowl on the counter until the number of bubbles rising to the surface slows down (to get the air out).

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Amy’s Cake

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Preheat oven to 350. Prepare two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans as follows – spray with cooking spray, dust with flour, and line bottom with parchment or waxed paper. Finally, encircle each pan with two large or three regular sized paper towels, still attached to each other, cut in strips wide enough to fold in half, dampened, lightly squeezed and paper clipped around the outside of each pan.

Cream together –

1 cup butter, softened

1½ cups sugar

Add one at a time –

2 whole eggs

Then add and mix well –

2 tsp. vanilla

Sift together and add, alternating dry ingredients with milk –

2½ cups sifted cake flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1¼ cups milk

Beat together until stiff peaks from and fold gently into cake batter –

1/8 tsp. cream of tarter

2 egg whites

Bake about half an hour, or until cake springs back when poked. Cool 10-15 minutes in pan before turning out onto cooling rack.

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Crock Pot Black Beans and Rice Soup

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1 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
2 16 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14 1/2 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 14 1/2 oz. cans broth
1 1/2 cups cooked rice

Combine all ingredients except rice in crock pot.
Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours (high 3 to 4
hours). Add cooked rice before serving. 8 servings.

Posted in Ethnic_Latin American, Main Dishes, Soups, Vegetarian Main Dish tagged with

Walnut Applesauce Pie

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1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 egg, whole
1 egg white only
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 pie shell, unbaked

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine first 8 ingredients and mix well, stir in walnuts.
Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes or until set.

Note: This is not as sweet as pecan pie.

Added extra ½ cup nuts 11/03

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Southwest White Chili

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2 tablespoons olive oil

2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

1 cup chopped onion

4 cups chicken broth

2 seven oz. cans chopped green chilis

4 cans (19 oz.) white beans, undrained

 

Spice Blend

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon cilantro

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

Heat oil in 8 quart pot over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring often.  Remove chicken with slooted spoon; cover and keep warm.

Add onion to pot and cook 2 minutes.  Stir in broth, green chilis and spice blend; simmer 30 minutes.

Stir in cooked chicken and beans.  Simmer 10 minutes.

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Whole Grain Double Chocolate Cookies

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1 3/4 cups white whole grain flour (220 grams) — (ex. Eagle Mills, KA White Whole Wheat)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup natural cocoa powder

1 stick butter, room temperature

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk**

1 1/2 cups extra dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Mix the flour, soda, salt and cocoa powder together in a small bowl and set aside.

Cream the butter and both sugars with an electric mixer. Beat in the vanilla. Scrape sides of bowl. Add the egg and beat for about 30 seconds or just until it is mixed in. Stir in the milk, then add the flour mixture and stir by hand or with lowest speed of mixture until it’s blended in. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Bake right away or chill dough until ready to use. If baking right away, spoon heaping teaspoonfuls (or regular size cookie scoops) of dough onto cookie sheets spacing 2 ½ inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until cookies appear done.

Makes about 3 dozen

**I used regular milk, but I think buttermilk might be an interesting addition.

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Yogurt “Cream Cheese” Frosting

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2- 8oz Container plain fat free Voskos brand Greek yogurt

2 tbsp. Reduced fat cream cheese

1/3 ? 1/2 C. Powdered sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

1 Pinch of salt

 

2 days before making the cupcakes or frosting place the two 8oz containers of Greek yogurt in cheese cloth set in a strainer over a bowl and refrigerate. After two days the yogurt will have strained out most of the liquid and will be a very thick, cream cheese like consistency. This step is extremely important, without it your frosting will be runny and not hold up on the cupcakes.

Bring cream cheese and yogurt to room temperature and place in the bowl of a mixer. Add the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla and whip until light and fluffy (the longer you whip it the lighter and fluffier it will be!). Frost cooled cupcakes with your healthy, low calorie cream cheese frosting.

*** This healthy dessert is sure to fool anyone with their moist, rich and creamy texture. The frosting truly makes these cupcakes irresistible!

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Yummy Cauliflower Soup

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  • 2 cups water
  • 1 head cauliflower, chopped
  • 1 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup diced carrots
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 5 cups milk
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2-4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

 

  1. In a large saucepan, combine water, cauliflower, potatoes, celery, carrots, and onion. Boil for 5 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Set aside.
  2. Melt butter in separate saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and gradually stir in milk. Return to heat, and cook until thickened. Stir in vegetables with cooking liquid, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in cheese until melted, and remove from heat.
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Almond Mayonaise

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1/2 c
1/2 c
1/2 t
1 t
2 t
1 t
1/2 t
1 1/4 c		 blanched almonds
water
salt
garlic powder
Spike seasoning
cumin
onion powder (or 1 t dry flakes)
safflower or canola oil
To blanch almonds, boil hot water. Remove from burner and add almonds. Let stand 15 minutes, then slip off skins of almonds.Blend water with almonds until smooth and thick. Add salt and seasonings. Blend in the oil by pouring it SLOWLY through the top of blender. Continue until well-blended and thick, stopping and stirring once in a while.

Serve on potatoes or mixed with steamed vegetables as a sauce, or use as mayonnaise.
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Better Butter

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1 c
1 c
2 T
2 T
1/2 t		 butter
canola or olive oil
dry milk
water
lecithin
Blend w/ mixer, refrigerate. It is spreadable right out of the fridge, tastes GREAT, supposedly better for you than just butter. We use Canola in the batch for toast, muffins etc., for garlic breads, the olive oil blend is yummy.
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