by jphilo | Dec 4, 2013 | Recipes
Yup, you read that right. No typos in the title, though buttery, non-dairy popcorn could be classified as an oxymoron.
Would you like the secret recipe?
The recipe’s not really secret, but one of the ingredients was a happy find during my trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan in October: Natural Butter EVOO from the Old World Olive Co.
Natural Butter EVOO is a bit of a misnomer.
This olive oil contains no butter, just natural butter flavor made from plants. I was skeptical, but the stuff really has a buttery flavor, potent enough that just a tablespoon gave the five pounds of potatoes I mashed for Thanksgiving a buttery flavor.
But that’s a totally different recipe. Here’s the one for really yummy popcorn.
Non-Dairy Buttery Popcorn
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1 tablespoon natural butter EVOO
Tone’s Popcorn Seasoning to taste
Pour EVOO into frying pan. Heat to medium (no higher as olive oil smokes easily). Add popcorn kernels and put lid on pan. Shake pan gently until kernels begin to pop. Continue shaking pan until kernels stop popping. Pour popped corn into a large bowl and add popcorn seasoning or salt to taste. Then, dig in!
by jphilo | Nov 27, 2013 | Recipes
At least, wild plum pudding is back by popular demand at our house this Thanksgiving. My sister is bringing this delicious dessert made from an heirloom recipe passed down through generations on Mom’s side of the family. Here’s the recipe, which appeared last year at Deborah Vogts blog, Country at Heart Recipes.
Wild Plum Pudding
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup canned wild plums (or canned tart pie cherries) – pit, drain and keep juice
Pudding: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar, butter and eggs. Combine dry ingredients (flour, soda, and spices) and alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to creamed mixture. Carefully fold in plums. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake 35 – 45 minutes.
Plum Sauce: Drain plum juice into a two cup measuring cup. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and enough water to equal two cups. (My sister adds ¼ cup rum in place of some of the water.) Pour into a sauce pan. Blend together 1 cup brown sugar and 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch. Add to liquid in pan and cook over medium heat until it thickens. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. To serve: Cut into squares and serve with warm plum sauce.
*FYI for non-dairy readers: Substitute a cup of soured almond milk (top off a scant cup of almond milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar and let sit 15 minutes) and use coconut oil or butter substitute for the shortening. You’ll never know the difference between this variation and the original recipe.
by jphilo | Nov 20, 2013 | Recipes
Soup season has arrived in our corner of the world, so on Monday I made the most of the chilly by trying out a recipe discovered in the United Airlines inflight magazine last summer. Some of the ingredients in the original recipe were not available at our midwestern grocery store, so substitutions in the version below have an * behind them.
Surprisingly, the ingredient the store did carry rice noodles, the one thing I thought would be impossible to find. They are not to be confused with rice pasta noodles, which are located in the gluten-free section of our store. Rather, these noodles were shelved in the Asian food section. And the package looks like this:
Now on to the recipe which the man of steel and I both agreed was a good choice for a chilly November Monday evening. The recipe didn’t receive the coveted Hiram seal of approval, but I loved it and plan to make it again soon. Cook’s prerogative and all that.
Midwest-Style, Shanghai-Style Noodle Soup
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast* diced into large cubes
4 cups fresh-prepared or low sodium chicken stock
8 ounces rice noodles
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
1 cup sliced, white mushrooms*
2 cups green cabbage* sliced into thin strips
1 cup bean sprouts**
1/2 cup green onions, green and white part chopped
3 miniature sweet red peppers* seeds removed and sliced into rings
White pepper
Soy sauce
Place chicken pieces in medium sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Soak rice noodles in warm water for 8 minutes and then drain when ready to serve.
Heat sesame oil in soup pot and saute garlic and onion for about a minute. Add the stock and chicken. Simmer over low heat until the chicken is tender, 10 minutes or so. Add the mushrooms and cabbage. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until ready to serve.
Season with white pepper and soy sauce. (We did this individually at the table.) Portion noodles and soup into bowls. (The recipe said into 4 bowls, but we had at least 6 servings.) Serve warm and garnish with green onions, red pepper, and bean sprouts.
**Couldn’t find fresh so used canned. They were vile, and will be left out next time if fresh aren’t available.
by jphilo | Nov 13, 2013 | Recipes
The past week and a half have been chock full of grandma duty and other family fun. So much fun, blogging is on the back burner. Therefore, for the next few days Gravel Road will reprise popular posts from the past. Today’s post first appeared on October 3,, 2012.
Turkey hash is one of the few recipes handed down to our family by Hiram’s mom, Elsie Philo. She was, by her own admission, a reluctant cook. Part of that reluctance may have stemmed from learning to cook in the territory of Alaska in the 1950s–on a wood stove, with limited provisions, while raising three very active little boys, and teaching school.
Fresh milk was hard to come by, even though her husband was a dairy farmer, and she added canned evaporated milk to almost every main dish. Turkey hash was no exception, and for years I made it according to her recipe. Not too long ago, I finally worked up the nerve to try it with almond milk. To my surprise, it tasted delicious. It even received Hiram’s coveted seal of approval. So here’s the non-dairy version (dairy ingredients are in parentheses) of the ultimate Philo comfort food, turkey hash.
Elsie Philo’s Turkey Hash
1/4 cup margarine (1/4 cup butter)
5–6 medium potatoes, peeled, washed, and sliced in thin rounds
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 cups cooked turkey, chopped
1 1/2 cups unflavored, unsweetened almond milk (1 large can evaporated milk)
1/4 cup flour (omit for dairy version)
Set a large frying pan over medium heat. Add margarine and melt.
Put sliced potatoes in the pan. Cover and cook for 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in onions and cover again. Cook for 5–10 minutes more, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat to avoid burning, until potatoes are soft. Stir in turkey. Cover and cook for 5 more minutes, until turkey is warmed through.
Sprinkle a few tablespoons of the flour on top of the meat and vegetable mixture. Stir until flour is absorbed. Repeat until all flour is absorbed. Pour 1/3 cup of almond milk and stir well. Repeat until the milk is gone. Continue cooking until the hash begins to bubble and the milk thickens.
Salt and pepper to taste at the table.
by jphilo | Nov 6, 2013 | Recipes
Today’s recipe comes compliments of my mom and one of the teachers she worked with for 3 decades at Franklin Elementary School in Le Mars, Iowa. In the past, I’ve posted it the day before Thanksgiving. But this year, it’s up three weeks early so you have time to purchase the ingredients and whip up a batch to serve it at your Thanksgiving feast.
Of course, the title is a misnomer since there’s no Chex cereal in it. The original recipe came from Zoe Hemmingson, one of Mom’s co-teachers and fourth grade teacher to me and my sis. She was one of the best teachers ever, so it makes me happy every year to make the mix and think of a very remarkable year in her classroom. May your Thanksgiving be filled with equally wonderful memories…and equally wonderful Franklin Chex Mix.
Franklin Teachers’ Chex Mix
Mix together in a large bowl:
1 box Crispex (17 ounce)
5 cups Cheerios
4 – 5 cups pretzels and mixed nuts (proportion as you like)
Mix together in a small bowl:
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1/2 cup melted bacon grease*
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Divide mixed, dry ingredients amongst three or four large cake pans. Pour wet ingredients over cereal mix and stir well. Bake at 200 degrees for 2 hours. Stir and turn off the oven. Leave mix in oven until the oven cools. Cool Chex Mix. Store in airtight containers.
*These secret ingredient is essential for the mix’s unique taste.
by jphilo | Nov 5, 2013 | Recipes, Top Ten Tuesday
The weather’s turning colder by the day, which means it’s hot meal season. A favorite strategy of wise cooks who don’t have time to cook every night is to double, triple, or quadruple the recipe being used. One can be served for that day, and the others can be labeled and put in the freezer for later. Here are ten favorite Gravel Road recipes that freeze well.
10. Green Chili Egg Bake
This egg bake offers a nice change from traditional egg bakes. Alas, it’s not friendly for people with dairy allergies. But it freezes so well and serves up so prettily, it makes the list.
9. Best Non-Dairy Egg Bake Ever
Yes indeedy, good things do come to those who wait. For those who can’t indulge in the Green Chili recipe, this non-dairy egg bake will make you happy, happy, happy!
8. Mom’s Chili Soup
Mom’s easy chili recipe is still my taste favorite. Once the soup cools, it can be stored in gallon freezer bags. Lay the bags flat to freeze, and they take up very little space.
7. Healthy Vegetarian Chili
If you prefer a vegetarian chili option, this one is absolutely delicious. Even the Man of Steel, who’s not a big chili eater likes this version now and then.
6. Jazzed Up Mac and Cheese
I know, I know. Another recipe that’s out of reach for people with dairy allergies. But this recipe is so simple to make, freezes and thaws so easily, our dairyophile friends will appreciate it.
5. Barbarcued Meatballs
These are as easy to make, freeze, and thaw as they are delicious. Make them once, and you’ll be hooked. Just replace the evaporated milk with almond or rice milk, and it’s dairy-free!
4. Mom’s Lasagna
I promise. This is the last recipe for dairy eaters only. But how can a list of freezer meals not include lasagna? BTW, I’ve tried to make it with dairy substitutes, but they just don’t taste the same.
3. Balkan Meatballs
These are my ultimate winter comfort food. To make them dairy-free, use Earth Balance buttery sticks instead of butter and almond milk instead of milk. So good. So, so good.
2. French Stew
This hearty stew is my daughter’s favorite. It has so many vegetables, you can eat guilt-free while enjoying the stew’s amazing flavors.
1. Turkey or Chicken Tetrazinni
This tetrazinni recipe is a favorite with our entire family. Chicken and turkey can be used interchangeably. It’s a bang-up way to use turkey leftovers, which will be the goal of almost every family in America in just a few weeks. To make it dairy-free, use Earth Balance buttery sticks instead of butter and leave out the cheddar cheese.
What’s your favorite freezer meal. Leave a link to the recipe in the comment box!
