Tinfoil Chef

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With the holidays upon us, a lot of thoughts turn to assorted desserts and other goodies even more so than during the rest of the year. It’s the time that we’ll spend the most time at our (real or virtual) recipe bookshelves looking for just the right thing for the occasion.

One of the long time favorites is of course, Apple Pie, the only problem with it is that it’s the kind of thing that can easily be a problem for diabetics (or anyone that wants to watch their sugar intake). That’s what makes this diabetic friendly deep dish apple pie such a good item to have in your recipe file.

Combine your favorite sugar substitute equal to 1/3 cup of sugar with a tablespoon of cornstarch, a half teaspoon of grated lemon rind, 2 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and four small apples sliced. Place the mixture in a 9 inch deep dish pie plate on a baking dish and set it aside.

Combine a cup of all purpose flour (sift it first) and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cut in 1/4 cup of butter until mixture resembles cornmeal. Blend in 3 tablespoons of water with a fork until all of the dry ingredients are moistened. Shape the dough into a ball and roll it out on a floured surface and put it on top of the apple filling.

Bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes or until it’s brown.

Sugar substitute to equal 1/3 c. sugar

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind

2 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

4 sm. apples, sliced

1 c. all purpose flour, sifted

1 tsp. salt

1/4 c. reduced calorie margarine

3 tbsp. cold water

Technorati Tags: assorted desserts, recipe, deep dish apple pie, diabetic friendly, holiday treat, sugar substitute, apple pie, apple pie recipe, all time favorites, pie apple

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It’s getting to be that time of year again and soon enough the playoffs and then the Super Bowl will be upon us. This means that it’s time to start making sure that all of your game day recipes are in order and fine tuned so that they come out just right. For example there’s quite a variation on what people like for Chicken Wings.

Some prefer the milder ones, others (such as myself) like ‘em to be hot enough for spicyness but not bad enough to burn and then there’s those who want their wings just as hot as can be, ideally hot enough to cloud up their contact lenses again with every tongue searing bite.

I’ll stick with something that isn’t quite so … dangerous. I like spicy just fine, I prefer it in fact, however I don’t care for things to be so hot that I can’t taste anything else but the burning. (I’d also kinda like it if my stomach lining remained intact as long as possible)

Start out getting the oven preheated to 375 degrees, then take a dozen chicken wings and cook them in boiling water for 10 minutes to remove the fat and set them aside to cool.

Using a mortar and pestle to grind together 5 crumbled bay leaves, 3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds, 1/2 To 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 3/4 teaspoon Ground coriander, 4 finely minced garlic cloves, 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard, 2 teaspoons of paprika, 3/4 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt for about 10 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons of brandy and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice to the ground herb and spice mixture and stir it into a thick paste

Brush both sides of each wing with the herb paste and arrange the chicken wings on a baking sheet. Bake until the skin turns deep brown and is crisp (approximately 30 minutes).

12 chicken wings with the tips removed
5 crumbled bay leaves
3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 To 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon Ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon Ground coriander
4 finely minced Garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons of Paprika
3/4 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of brandy
2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

Technorati Tags: cajun chicken wings, chicken wings, recipe, football playoffs, football season, game day snacks

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It’s fast approaching Thanksgiving Day and of course that means it’s time (maybe past time even) to trot out all the holiday recipes and make sure we’ve got all our best stuff ready for the hungry crowds. Of course, the meal ends up being entirely too much for anyone to really have as much of any one thing as they would prefer and if you approach the holiday meals like a wine of the month club or a smorgasboard you’re much better off. That way you can make it a point to have enough of everything to actually try it and enjoy it without actualy having to overstuff yourself.

I first heard of Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pie from a friend of mine who absolutely swore by it. He liked pumpkin pie well enough, but this little gem was by far his favorite.

While the oven is preheating to 350°F, combine a 15oz can of pumpkin pie filling, a 15oz can of candied yams, a half cup of brown sugar, a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, a half teaspoon of salt, a half cup of milk, two tablespoons of melted butter, two large eggs and 3 tablespoons of rum in the bowl of a food processor and process/blend/mix until the mixture is smooth.

Fill a 10-inch pie crust with the mixture annd bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

Most recipes I’ve seen for this call for it to be set aside for at least 20 minutes before serving, noting that it’s supposed to be better when chilled, however my friend from years back disagreed. According to him, it was best served warm with cool whip or ice cream on top

1 15 oz. can pumpkin pie filling
1 15 oz. can candied yams
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoon melted butter
2 large eggs
1 refrigerated pie crust
3 tablespoon of rum

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Has anyone noticed a jump in comment spam lately? I certainly have. One of the more annoying things about blogging is dealing with spam. There’s the mostly inane, generic comments like “good job”, “nice post”, “great post” and so on that are nothing more than blatant excuses to drop a link in a comment.

They’re something that you get to see quite a bit when blogging, especially if you have more than one blog. Thankfully, the Akismet plugin combined with the Simple trakback validation plugin and the “Bad behavior” plugins weed out most of it.

Worse than that are the ones that look genuine enough to pass the anti-spam tools and have to be dealt with manually. I’d rather fill out retail resumes with a 1/4 inch long piece of pencil lead, or better yet, locating new and interesing recipes to share like this One Dish Wonder Casserole.

In a bowl, combine a pound of browned and drained ground turkey, a cup of diced onion, and a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes with the liquid, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and a teaspoon of salt.

Use your favorite non-stick cooking spray to coat a 3 quart casserole and then spoon the mixture into it.

On top of it, add 2 cups of diced potatoes, 1/3 cup of flour, 10oz of corn, 10oz of beans (lima or green) and a large green bell pepper cut into strips on top.

Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Sprinkle a cup and a half (or more!!) of cheddar cheese and continue baking, uncovered, for another 30 minutes.

1 pound of ground meat that’s been ground and drained
(I prefer ground turkey but you can use ground beef as well)
1 cup chopped onions (about 1 medium-large onion diced up)
1 28 oz can of chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups of diced potatoes
1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
10 oz corn
10 oz frozen lima beans (I’d substitute green beans because I’m not thrilled with limas)
1 large bell pepper cut into strips
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Technorati Tags: ground turkey, ground beef, cheddar cheese, recipe, cheese, casserole, one dish wonder

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Cold winter mornings are already there for a lot of the country and the rest of us are staring them in the face. On a morning like that, of course you want to have something hot before getting in gear for the day. However just a hot breakfast alone, while good for you and great to have, doesn’t alwasy quite hit the spot by itself.

The key for many of us is in our morning coffee. These Apple Nut Muffins, served warm with that coffee can make that coffee just that much better. I believe I’ve seen this recipe or one like it on Mr. Food some time back and while I’m not going to use his particular catchphrase, they are certainly a good idea. In fact I wouldn’t mind finding one of those steel buildings in our backyard stocked full of goodies like this.

Start out Preheating oven to 375 degrees. Then Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with your favorite non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, a half cup of sugar, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and a half teaspoon of salt.

In another bowl, beat 2 eggs with 3/4 cup of milk. Stir in a cup of chopped apple and 6 tablespoons of melted butter. Add the apple mixture to the flour mixture and stir until it’s just moistened all over. (the batter will be really stiff.)

Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full with the batter, distributing evenly.

For the nut topping, combine 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup of packed brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix well and sprinkle the nut mixture evenly over the batter.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test (a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean). Remove them from the muffin pan right away and serve warm.

You can also mix some confectioner’s sugar and a little milk to make a thin glaze and drizzle that over the warm muffins.

Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped (about a cup)
6 tablespoons melted butter

Nut Topping:
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Technorati Tags: morning coffee, breakfast, winter morning, cold morning, recipe, apple muffins, apple nut muffins

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It’s getting well into apple season and they’re showing up in the stores all over the place. While I think most people like apples, it doesn’t take long after buying that large bag of ‘em before you start wondering what else you can do with ‘em besides eat them straight.

Apple coffee cake to the rescue!

Start out by pre-heating the oven to 375°F. Then Grease a 9-inch square baking dish or pie pan that can hold 4 cups (I’m guessing a 10 or 12 inch pie pan ought to do.)

Sift a cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and a half teaspoon of salt.

Combine 1/3 cup of sugar with a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and set it aside for the time being.

Cream the butter with 1/3 cup of sugar. When it’s good and smooth, beat in 1 egg until that’s well blended. Next, add the flour mixture a third at a time, alternating with a half cup of milk, beating the mixture until it’s just combined.

Spread half of the batter in the baking dish (or large pie pan). Peel and slice a medium baking apple and lay the slices on top of the batter so they just cover it. Some slices may overlap but that’s ok.

Sprinkle the apples with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Spread the rest of the batter over the apples. Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon-sugar mix on top.

Bake for 25 minutes or until it’s golden brown and apples start to bubble around the edges.

A variation is to use a mixture of brown sugar and butter for the topping instead of the cinnamon sugar.

Technorati Tags: sugar, apple coffee cake, coffee cake, recipe, cinnamon, apples, apple cake

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It’s getting colder out and that brings on more thoughts of baking things if only just to have an excuse to start the oven. Never mind the fact that doing so often means baking and baking means assorted goodies for all. Next thing you know you’re wishing you’d bought the ingredients in bulk at one of those wholesale places.

Anyway, this recipe for pumpkin crunch custard is a dessert recipe that’s just made for the job. Not only do you get to crank up the oven for around 45 minutes or so but when it’s all done you’ve got a great snack to munch on. Preheat the oven to 325 and let’s get started.

For the custart part, beat 3 large eggs and then add a can of pumpkin, a can of evaporated milk, 3/4 cup of brown sugar (packed) 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice and a teaspoon of vanilla and mix until it’s all blended well.

To make the crunch topping, add 3 tablespoons brown sugar(packed), 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Add 4 teaspoons butter cut into small pieces and cut it in with a fork (or pastry blender) until it resembles coarse crumbs and then stir in 1/3 cup of chopped pecans.

Pour the custard mixture into an ungreased 2 quart baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until the sides begin to set. At that point, remove the custard from the oven and sprinkle with the topping mix. Bake another 35 to 40 minutes or until it passes the knife test. Cool on a wire rake and searve warm or at room temperature. It’ll keep in the refrigerator 5 days but you’ll probably not have it around that long.

Technorati Tags: pumkin crunch custard, custard, pumpkin dessert, pumpkin recipe, recipe

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It’s starting to get into the season for fall holiday things and one of the big traditional standbys for this time of year is pumpkin. It starts with pumpkin pie and goes on from there. It’s interesting how many things people make with Pumpkin. Recently my wife discovered a pumpkin cookie recipe that we liked at lot (good thing we liked ‘em too!)

Anyway, this pumpkin nut loaf strikes me as the natural next step from pumpkin cookies.

Mix 2 cups of all-pupose flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon and a half of pumpkin pie spice.

Beat two eggs, 1 1/4 cups pumpkin, a cup of sugar, half a can of evaporated milk (NOT to be confused with sweetened condensed milk! They’re different animals entirely.) and 2 tablespoons of oil in a larger mixer bowl until blended.

Add the flour mixture and a half cup of chopped nuts and mix just until it’s evenly moistened. Pour it into a greased 9 x 5 loaf pan and bake at 350 for about an hour or until it passes the toothpick test then remove it from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes before taking it out and putting it on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Technorati Tags: pumpkin bread, recipe, pumpkin recipe, seasonal favorite, seasonal food, pumpkin nut loaf

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This is one of those desserts that’s sure to go over good enough that you might consider installing security systems on your refrigerator to keep ‘em safe until it’s time to serve them.

Mix a cup of flour with a half cup of softened butter and 1/3 cup of chopped nuts. Press this into a 9 x 13 pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 350. When it’s done set it aside to cool while you get the rest of it ready.

Mix 8oz of cream cheese, a cup of confectioners’ sugar and a cup of cool whip or other whipped topping. Spread this over the cooled crust.

Next you need a couple of 3 3/4oz instant lemon pudding mixes. Make up the lemon pudding according to package directions and then pour it over the cream cheese layer and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour to set. Finish it off with a layer of your favorite cool whip-alike and then chill until you’re ready to serve.

The best security with all good desserts of course is to get ‘em made up and safely put away while nobody else is around. Then again, maybe a padlock on the fridge wouldn’t be a bad idea sometimes ‘eh?

Technorati Tags: lemon pudding, cream cheese, recipe, pudding, dessert

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The casserole is one of those great dishes that let you create most of a meal at once. What’s special about this one is that it’s not everyday you find one made with spaghetti.

While this is getting ready, preheat the oven to 350 and start water boiling for pasta When the water’s boiling get a package of spaghetti cooking. Drain it when it’s done and have it ready.

Brown a pound of hamburger (ground turkey works great too!), breaking it up along the way so that it’s crumbly.

Chop a couple of medium onions, two stalks of celery and a green bell pepper and add that to the meat. Cook this for about three minutes or so until the onions start to soften a bit and turn clear.

Add a cup of diced tomatoes and simmer another few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In a buttered two quart casserole combine the pasta and sauce. At this point the original recipe calls for a couple teaspoons of blue cheese to go in there as well. However since I would rather eat a Linksys router than use blue cheese, I humbly suggest parmesan cheese instead.

Finally sprinkle some more parmesan cheese on top. Then it’s into the oven for twenty minutes.

Technorati Tags: spaghetti casserole, ground turkey, recipe, casserole, spaghetti

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