chicken marenga

1-1/2 frying chickens, cut up
1/4 c butter
juice from 2 cans tuna packed in water (sub for 8 oz clam juice)
12-oz can whole tomatoes
1 small onion, julienne sliced
1 celery stalk, julienne sliced
1 small green pepper, sliced into slivers
4 cloves garlic, sliced into slivers
salt and pepper, tarragon, 2 bay leaves, and red  cayenne pepper

Melt the butter in the bottom of a large baking pan. Arrange the chicken in the pan, skin side up. Pour the tuna juice over the chicken. Arrange the sliced vegetables evenly over the top of the chicken. Next, squeeze the juice from the whole tomatoes over the chicken with your hands, and arrange the tomatoes even over the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken and vegetables generously with salt and pepper, tarragon, bay leaves, and cayenne pepper.

Bake slowly in a 300 degree oven for about 4 hours. Baste with the pan juices at least every hour. Serves 6 to 8.

fudgy brownies

1-1/3 c flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c sugar
1/2 c butter (1 stick)
2 T water
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 eggs
1-1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine the dry ingredients, except sugar, in a large mixing bowl and set aside. In a small glass bowl or measuring cup, microwave the chocolate until it is melted (watch carefully).  In a medium glass bowl, microwave the sugar, butter and water together until it becomes bubbly. Add the melted chocolate to the sugar butter mixture and stir thoroughly. At this point, set the melted chocolate mixture aside to cool to room temperature.

Now, beat the eggs, one at a time, into the melted chocolate mixture, until well combined. Stir in the vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stir until combined. Nuts or chocolate or peanut butter chips can be added to the batter at this point. Turn the batter into a greased 9×13 pan, bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. This is Sarah’s wonderful recipe.

Sugar restrictions: Use 12 pkts stevia or Truvia to replace 1/2 c of the sugar. To replace more than that, experimentation will be needed.

rice salad

I made this rice salad from Emeril posted at the Food Network, with these changes:

I used regular brown rice and no wild rice, since that is what I had. I cooked the rice with water until it was finished, then I salted and peppered it with butter and let it cool in the refrigerator.

I forgot to make a hard boiled egg, so that did not make it in.

I only had about a quarter of a tomato, so I added some roasted red pepper, diced, and peas, to stretch the veggies. I used a combination of green onion and diced red onion for the onion. The salad was very pretty with all the different colors of veggies in it. Also, instead of serving it on a bed of lettuce, I chopped the lettuce and added it to the salad.

For the dressing, I did not have creole mustard, so I used brown spicy mustard. I used pomegranate infused red wine vinegar since that is what I had. It turned out WONDERFUL! Thanks, Emeril!

menus for the week of 10.04.09

Tonight the Feast of Tabernacles begins!

Sun 10.04.09 1st day of Tabernacles begins
celery stuffed with roasted garlic cream cheese
cheese ravioli with italian meatsauce
garlic bread
salad
blueberry crisp

Mon 10.05.09 2nd day of Tabernacles begins
baguette toast topped with ricotta cheese and chopped roasted red peppers
barbeque chicken on the grill (with Dad’s new homemade barbeque sauce)
ranch potatoes with Emeril’s Essence
corn on the cob
broccoli with lemon butter
banana chocolate chip cake

Tue 10.06.09 3rd day of Tabernacles begins
We are taking a picnic to Siesta Key Beach to grill!
onion dip on crackers topped with chopped olive
lemongrass marinated beef on skewers
rice salad
fruit salad
chocolate chip cookies

Wed 10.07.09 4th day of Tabernacles begins
veggies with cream cheese veggie dip
chicken and dumplings
potato casserole
apple pie

Thu 10.08.09 5th day of Tabernacles begins
lasagne with italian meatsauce
garlic bread
roasted tomatoes with mozarella and basil
roasted green beans
tiramisu

Fri 10.09.09 6th day of Tabernacles begins; Sabbath supper
spinach artichoke dip with crusty bread
roasted red pepper chicken
garlic mashed potatoes
southern greens
cheesecake

Sat 10.10.09 7th day of Tabernacles begins
artichoke con queso, guacamole, chips
salsa
beef chili
cornbread
ultimate chocolate mousse

Sun 10.11.09 8th Day of Assembly begins
We are going OUT to dinner in the late afternoon before the Sabbath begins!

unleavened desserts

None of these desserts contain yeast, baking powder or baking soda (leaven), which we are to abstain from during the holidays which fall during the week of Unleavened Bread. I don’t consider air whipped into a dessert such as chocolate mousse leaven. And I have my doubts that Scripture intends to ban chemical leavening agents either, such as baking soda or baking powder, since the Hebrew word for leaven indicates yeast. As the purpose of the holiday is to picture lives, families, communities, and nations which have been cleansed of sin, which grows on its own from a hidden tiny portion, a small foothold, until the whole lump is leavened, yeast is clearly meant, as the only live leavening organism which has that effect. However, this point is debated among well- meaning people, so I have included only recipes which also do not contain chemical leaveners.

Some of the desserts are gluten- free, but all gluten- free desserts can be made with regular wheat flour if desired. Some of the desserts are also sugar- free, but all sugar- free desserts can be made with sugar or honey if desired; likewise, all sugared desserts can be made sugar- free (here is the Stevia or Truvia conversion chart).

apricot almond compote
brownies, one bowl gluten- free
cheesecake (using almond meal in the crust instead of graham crackers or cookies)
chef tell’s white chocolate mousse
chocolate mousse, sugar- free
chocolate mousse cake
creme brulee
grandma’s fruit crisp
pie
shortbread, gluten- free
strawberry ice cream
vanilla custard ice cream
vanilla pudding

on healthier baked goods

I am trying to remember where I first read this substitution for white flour for use in baking recipes … and I can’t remember. I have been carrying around the scrap of paper I wrote it down on for a little while now, while I was waiting for a good opportunity to try it out. ‘

Here it is: for every 1 cup of white flour called for in a baked good recipe (not yeast bread), use instead:
1/4 c white flour
1/4 c whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 c oat flour
1/4 c almond meal

So why substitute for white flour? Have you ever heard the phrase, the whiter the bread, the sooner you’re dead? White carbohydrates (white flour, white sugar, white rice, white pasta, white potatoes) are usually highly refined carbohydrates. Highly refined carbohydrates are broken down quickly and enter your bloodstream quickly, causing a spike in your blood sugar. Plus they might play a role in slowing down your metabolism and contribute to a whole host of other disease mechanisms. Dr. Gittleman bans the white carbs completely during her 11- day detox diet.

Now we do not eat white carbs hardly ever. The only time, really, is dessert for sabbaths and feast days. I was trying to find a way to make the white flour called for in cake and pie and brownies slower- digesting and healthier. Oat flour is a slow- digesting carb, and is still light in color. Almond meal is a pale color, but is not a carb. Almonds are a good source of monounsaturated fatty acids, the good kind of fatty acids that are found in olive oil. And whole wheat flour is not as slow- digesting as oat flour, but it is much slower than white flour. The difference between whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour, is that pastry flour is finer and less heavy.

This afternoon I have made italian cream cupcakes and banana bread using this flour substitution. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Update: The first thing you have to do, if you are determined to make a cake with any kind of whole wheat flour, is change your expectation of the finished product. The cake is not going to be white, or light. And it was not. It was sort of a caramel color. And it was not light in texture as cake normally is. And finally, it was drier than this cake normally is. So some tweaking is necessary. The banana bread, however, turned out wonderfully.

sugar- free chocolate mousse

2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
5 T butter
12 pkts Truvia sweetener
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
6 pkts Truvia sweetener
1/2 c heavy cream, cold
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan containing about 1-inch of barely simmering water. Stir with a wooden spoon until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat, stir in the 12 pkts of Truvia, and let cool slightly. I put mine in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Beat 1 egg yolk into the chocolate until completely smooth. Then beat in the 2nd egg yoik until completely smooth, then the 3rd. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the 6 pkts of Truvia and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

In a chilled bowl, beat the heavy cream until it begins to thicken up. Add the vanilla and continue beating until the cream holds soft peaks.

Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Then fold the whipped cream into the chocolate. Take care not over work the mousse or it will be heavy. Divide the mousse between 4 individual glasses. Cover and chill for several hours.

Each serving of mousse equals 1 protein + 2 fat exchanges.

chocolate conversion

1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate + 1 T shortening + 1/4 c sugar = 3 oz semi sweet chocolate.

1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 T shortening + 1/4 c sugar = 3 oz semi sweet chocolate or 1/2 c chocolate chips.

menus for the week of 01.09.09

You are welcome to join us! Just call if you want to come for dinner.

Fri 01/09/09 Sabbath supper
roasted red pepper chicken
baby sweet potatoes and twice baked potatoes
broccoli with lemon butter
ultimate chocolate mousse
unleavened bread and wine for communion

Sat 01/10/09
Leftovers

Sun 01/11/09
Out

Mon 01/12/09
hamburgers on the grill
grilled sweet corn
salad with tomatoes and olives

Tue 01/13/09
pumpkin chili
cornbread

Wed 01/14/09
moroccan tilapia
steamed baby green beans
rice

Thu 01/15/09
spaghetti with italian meatsauce
salad with marinated vegetables
garlic bread

twice baked potatoes

Bake russet potatoes until nearly done. Cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the interior of the potato, leaving a 1/4″ shell. In a food processor or mixer, mash the potato with butter and sour cream until smooth. Add salt and pepper, grated cheddar cheese, chopped green onion, and parsley. Pile the potato mixture back into the potato shells and bake until hot and bubbly. Top with grated cheese for the last few minutes of baking.