by jphilo | Jul 16, 2014 | Recipes
July is birthday month for my daughter and me. We celebrated last weekend–a bit early for both of us, but it was when our family could gather together. I baked the latest dairy-free rendition of the traditional family birthday cake, German’s Chocolate.
I last baked one of these in September of 2013 for Mom’s birthday. Both then and now, I used the original German Chocolate cake recipe, which can be found online. This time, I used soured coconut milk instead of soured rice milk. We all agreed it added body to the cake. These are the dairy-free substitutions used in the cake:
The coconut milk remaining in the can was just enough for the coconut-pecan frosting. It wasn’t the perfect replacement for evaporated milk, but it’s the best substitute yet. Once again, here’s the frosting recipe Mom found years ago in a magazine. It’s different from the one found inside the Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate box, and one I’ve never seen anywhere else. It’s been adjusted to be dairy-free, too:
Easy Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting
3/4 cup canned coconut milk 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup Earth Balance vegan sticks
1 teaspoon vanilla 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 1/3 cups shredded coconut 1 cup chopped pecans
Combine milk, sugars, butter and vanilla in a sauce pan. Bring to a full boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. (Mixture may appear curdled.) Quickly stir a small amount of hot mixture into the egg yolks; then pour that mixture back into sauce pan. Return to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add coconut and pecans. Cool to spreading consistency, stirring occasionally.
*Cookbooks tell you to frost between the layers and on the top of a German chocolate cake, but not on its sides. Mom always frosted the sides (it’s a little tricky) to keep the cake moist.
by jphilo | Jul 9, 2014 | Recipes
The kitchen is closed on our gravel road today because the man of steel and I are going out to eat to celebrate our 37th wedding anniversary. This recipe for baked beans, a popular summer side dish, comes from my cousin Gary. I haven’t tried it yet (the man of steel isn’t a big bean lover), but want to take the dish to a potluck meal soon.
Cousin Gary’s Baked Beans
1- 28 oz can Van Camps’ Old Fashioned Baked Beans, Sweet Hickory and Bacon
1- 21 oz can of apple pie filling
2 tablespoons of mild molasses
¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup walnuts
Pour beans into a large microwavable bowl.Place apple pie filling into a flat bottom bowl and chop apples into smaller pieces. Stir apple pie filling into beans. Chop walnuts into medium to fine pieces, depending on your preference. Add chopped walnuts, molasses, and brown sugar to bean/apple mixture.
Microwave on high for 10 minutes. Stir. Microwave on high for 10 more minutes. Cook longer for thicker beans.
by jphilo | Jul 8, 2014 | Recipes, Top Ten Tuesday
Summer in Iowa and the eatin’ is tasty! Gardens are overflowing with produce, and in honor of this bounteous time of year, here this year’s top ten favorite recipes that feature fresh herbs, fruits and veggies. Enjoy!
10. In the spirit of the “Life is short so eat dessert first” school of thought, I’m kicking things off with the recipe for strawberry-rhubarb pie.
9. Any meat marinated in this teriyaki sauce and stir fried with fresh garden veggies will be a summer time hit.
8. I found this kale and sausage tart recipe late last summer, and it was an instant hit.
7. The man of steel loves this grilled turkey pesto sandwich, made with basil pesto (see #5). He’s glad that this summer food is good any time of year, since pesto is easy to freeze and thaw.
6. Tomato season is just beginning. Once it’s in full swing, this fresh summer salsa makes short work of extra tomatoes, peppers, and onions.
5. Non-dairy basil pesto. Spread it on pizza and sandwiches or toss it with pasta. It freezes beautifully, too!
4. No summer recipe list is complete without Grandma Fern’s wilted lettuce. It’s delicious and uses massive amounts of garden lettuce and spinach, too.
3. This absolutely delicious grilled shrimp salad is a summer staple at our house. We feel so virtuous eating it because it’s low-cal and very healthy.
2. Peanut-cilantro pesto vaulted near the top of our summer favorites list about 5 seconds after the man of steel and I tasted it. We like it on crackers, sandwiches, and tossed with pasta. Divine!
1. And finally, the top summer recipe on our little gravel road is fresh peach pie. In a week or two, when the Colorado, Michigan, and Missouri peaches hit the grocery stores, this pie will grace every potluck or food-related social event we attend.
What’s your favorite summer recipe? Leave a link to it in the comment box or share the recipe. Happy eating!
by jphilo | Jul 2, 2014 | Recipes
The sour cherries, also known as pie cherries, are ripe! Thanks to generous neighbors who invited us to pick their tree clean, over the weekend the man of steel and I froze enough for three pies. And, there were enough left over to make a small cherry cobbler, the perfect size for the two of us.
I halved this recipe from the 1976 Betty Crocker Cookbook, which was a wedding shower gift from my Grandma Josie Hess. The cookbook she was pleased as punch to give because it was the latest thing in cooking. The one she inscribed with the famous words, “May you have many happy hours planning delicious meals for a happy, contented husband.”
The cherry cobbler was mighty tasty, though as usual I cut the sugar significantly, and Grandma’s inscription has me smiling again.
Cherry Cobbler
1 1/4 cups sugar (I used 2/3 cup)
1 tablespoon cornstarch (I almost doubled that, and the fruit was still runny)
4 cups sour cherries
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons shortening (I used coconut oil)
1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)
Heat oven to 400º. Measure flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder, and salt into bowl. Cut in shortening. Add milk and stir with fork. Set aside.
Put cherries in medium saucepan. Blend larger amount of sugar with cornstarch. Add to cherries and stir well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens.
Pour into ungreased 2 quart baking dish. Spoon small dollops of flour mixture onto hot fruit until surface is covered.
Bake 20–30 minutes until topping is golden brown. Best served warm!
by jphilo | Jun 25, 2014 | Recipes
Strawberry season is here! In honor of these few weeks strawberry lovers dream about most of the year, (and because I’ve been traveling and haven’t had time to test a new recipe or write a post) here’s the dairy-free version of Grandma Josie’s recipe for strawberry shortcake. (The dairy version can be found here.)
We’re having the dairy-free version for dessert tonight, along with the last of our CSA fresh strawberries. Definitely a night to remember!
Grandma Josie’s Original Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
1 small cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking power
1 egg
2 tablespoons Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks
Stir in rich milk substitute of your choice until semi-stiff. Bake at 350 degrees until golden and toothpick comes out clean. Top with fresh strawberries. Recipe can be doubled to fit in a 10 inch pan.
Grandma Josie’s Strawberry Shortcake
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup softened Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks or coconut oil
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup almond, rice, or soy milk
1 quart strawberries, washed, hulled, sliced and mixed with 2 tablespoons sugar
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Cut in shortening. Add eggs and milk substitute. Mix with a fork until all ingredients are moistened. Pour into a 9 inch square pan. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Top with fresh strawberries.
by jphilo | Jun 18, 2014 | Recipes
Welcome to Cilantro Grand Central! For the third week running, the featured recipe features the zippy herb. Look for that to change in the near future when warmer weather hits, the cilantro bolts, and other herbs, fruits, and veggies find a seat in the summertime train. But for today, here’s a new marinade that was quick, easy, and flavorful.
This marinade uses the ingredients and proportions listed for a drizzling sauce for pork at Epicurious. We used boneless country style ribs (Now isn’t that an oxymoron?) instead of six boneless pork chops. Also, instead of drizzling the mixture over the meat during grilling. Here’s the mixture the pork soaked in for perhaps an hour before Hiram put it on the grill.
Grilled Pork with Cilantro and Lime Marinade
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Place meat in shallow pan. Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over meat. Flip meat over so all surfaces are covered. Refrigerate for about an hour before grilling.
