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Vintage Recipes for Turkey With Apple Raisin Herb Stuffing and Paradise Pumpkin Pie

Thursday, February 12th, 2009
Grandma Linda asked:


With our economy in a downward spiral, we are all looking for ways to cut back on our food expenses.  Turkey is one of the best ways to do that.  They are inexpensive and usually provide more than one meal; there are so many ways to use turkey leftovers.  So whether it is holiday time or you just have several to feed or you are looking for economical meal ideas, give this Turkey and Apple Raisin Herb Stuffing a try.  Pumpkin is another good food that is inexpensive.  Pumpkin is a nutritional plus and is good for anytime of the year.  If you want something different in a pumpkin pie, try this Paradise Pumpkin Pie recipe.

APPLE RAISIN HERB STUFFING & TURKEY

This recipe is from an old rural Midwestern Electrical Co-op Newsletter.

12-14 lb turkey, thawed

8 cups dried bread cubes (10-13 slices of bread)

3 cups Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped

3/4 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 tsp rubbed sage

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 cup chicken broth

6 tbsp margarine, melted

Combine bread cubes, apples, raisins, onion, parsley and herbs. Add broth and margarine. Toss to mix. Stuff seasoned turkey and roast according to turkey package directions.

PARADISE PUMPKIN PIE

This recipe is from a 1975 edition of “The Workbasket” magazine. This magazine is no longer on the market but used to be a favorite of homemakers everywhere, especially in the rural areas.

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 1/4 cups canned or cooked pumpkin

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

dash of salt

1 cup evaporated milk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell with high edges

Combined softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla; mixing until well blended. Add 1 egg; mix well. Cover botton of pastry shell with mixture. Combine remaining ingredients; mix well. Carefully pour over cream cheese mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 65 to 70 minutes or until done. Cool. Brush with maple syrup; decorate with nuts, if desired.

Enjoy!



Nicole

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Diabetic Friendly Muffin Recipes Perfect for Fall

Sunday, January 18th, 2009
Grandma Linda asked:


Muffins are always good and we enjoy them year round.  Whether as a snack, a breakfast staple, lunchbox item, the list could go on and on, muffins are a staple.  Following are some recipes that are diabetic friendly and are enjoyable during any season.  They are, however, perfect for fall when their ingredients are in abundance.  Apple Allspice Muffins are a great way to enjoy the abundance of apples at farmer’s markets and in the grocery stores in the fall.  Oatmeal and Pumpkin muffins are a healthy alternative anytime, but again, they are perfect to take advantage of the beautiful pumpkins in the fall.  Whenever you have them, they are sure to become favorites.

APPLE-ALLSPICE MUFFINS

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Splenda brown sugar blend, divided

1 egg

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup fat-free milk

1 cup peeled, finely chopped apple

Non-stick vegetable oil spray

1/2 tsp ground allspice

In a medium mixing bowl, cream 1/4 cup butter; gradually add 1/4 cup + 1 tsp of the Splenda brown sugar blend, beating at medium speed of electric mixer until mixture is light and fluffy.  Add egg and mix well.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, and salt.  Add to the creamed mixture alternating with milk.  Stir just until moistened.  Gently stir in chopped apple.  Spray 12 muffin cups with vegetable oil spray.  Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds fulls.

Combine remaining Splenda blend, flour, and allspice in a small mixing bowl.  Cut in the remaining two tablespoons of butter, using a pastry blender or two knives, until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Sprinkle mixture evenly over the tops of the muffin batter.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

OATMEAL & PUMPKIN MUFFINS

Note:  Eating 1 of these nutritional muffins will provide 1 of your 3 recommended daily servings of whole grains.  Whole grains and fiber are important to the diabetics diet.

2 cups + 2 tbsp old-fashioned oats

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup Equal Sugar-Lite

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 cup canned pumpkin

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/2 cup egg substitute

2 tbsp canola oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees & lightly coat 12 muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray or paper muffin cups and set aside.

Place 2 cups of the oats in a food processor; cover and process until fine.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in flour, Equal, pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cloves.  Make a well in the center of the mixture and set aside.

Using a wire whisk, whisk together pumpkin, buttermilk, egg substitute and oil in a medium mixing bowl.  Add mixture all at once into the well of the flour mixture.  Stir just until moistened as you want the batter to be thick and lumpy.  Spoon into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3s full.  Sprinkle the remaining oats on the tops of muffin batter.  Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes before removing from cups.

Note:  I adapted this recipe from a recipe in the Smart Spot magazine.

Enjoy!

 



Melvin

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Kitchen Pantry - a Cook’s Secret Weapon

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008
Manbeer Singh asked:


Doing any job is easier when you have the right tools on hand. One of a cook’s best tools — and secret weapons — is having a well-stocked kitchen pantry.

Cooking is much simpler if you know that you’ve already got what you need on hand, and aren’t going to have to run to the corner market every time you want to fix a meal.

Having a well-stocked pantry is also the secret weapon especially when unexpected guests drop by.

You’ll be able to make every guest feel special and welcome because, whether it is appetizers for four or dinner for ten, you can handle it with style and panache. In fact, your reputation — and your sanity — will be assured, because with these things in your pantry, you can put together beautiful and tasty food that is beautifully presented in just minutes, simply and easily.

Here is a list of basic ingredients that should be in any well-stocked pantry. (One great way to stock your pantry is to buy one or two things on the list each time you go shopping, rather than trying to get it all at once. If you watch the sales and take advantage of seasonal buys, you’ll be able to save money as well!).

Remember to rotate everything in your pantry on a regular basis, and adjust the items on this list to suit your family’s likes and dislikes.

Herbs, Spices, Extracts and Sauces:

- Salt (Sea and Iodized)

- Pepper (Whole Peppercorns, Black, White and Red)

- Nutmeg (Ground and Fresh)

- Cinnamon (Ground and Sticks)

- Pumpkin Pie Spice (Ground)

- Allspice (Ground)

- Cardamom (Whole and Ground)

- Ginger (Whole and Ground)

- Curry (Ground)

- Garlic (Fresh and Ground for Emergencies)

- Mustard (Ground)

- Bay Leaves (Dried)

- Rosemary (Fresh and Bottled)

- Thyme (Fresh and Bottled)

- Sage (Fresh and Dried)

- Sweet Basil (Fresh and Dried)

- Parsley (Fresh and Dried for Emergencies)

- Cumin (Ground)

- Oregano (Dried)

- Onions (Flakes for Emergencies)

- Vanilla Extract

- Maple Extract

- Almond Extract

- Lemon Extract

- Orange Extract

- Soy Sauce

- Cooking Wine or Cooking Sherry

- Rice Wine Vinegar

- Sesame Oil

- Balsamic Vinegar

- Red Wine Vinegar

- Citrus Vinegar

- Teriyaki Sauce

- Barbecue Sauce

- Sweet and Sour Sauce

- Tabasco or Other Hot Sauce

- Chili Sauce

- Steak Sauce

- Packages of Salad Dressing Mix

- Packages of Dried Onion Soup Mix (Or Other Flavors)

- Soup for Sauces (Cream of Chicken, Mushroom, Celery and Cheese)

For Baking:

- All Purpose Flour

- Self-Rising Flour

- Whole Wheat Flour

- Pancake Mix

- Yeast

- Sugar

- Confectioner’s Sugar

- Brown Sugar

- Sugar Cubes

- Molasses

- Baking Powder

- Baking Soda

- Yeast

- Cornstarch

- Honey

- Cocoa Powder

- Unsweetened or Semi-Sweet Chocolate

- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

- Butterscotch, Caramel and other flavored “chips”

- Nuts (Walnuts, Pecans, Almonds, Hazelnuts and Cashews)

- Marshmallow Cream

- Vegetable Shortening (Regular and Butter-Flavored)

- Sunflower Oil

- Maraschino Cherries

For Appetizers or Adding “Something Special” to Meals:

- Peanuts in the Shell

- Salted Peanuts

- Mixed Nuts

- Extra Virgin Olive Oil

- A Variety of Crackers

- Black and Green Olives

- Canned Mushrooms

- Palm Tree Hearts

- Bottled Asparagus

- Sun-dried Tomatoes

- Bottled Salsa

- A Variety of Chips and Dips

- Cheeses (Traditionally, 3 to 5 are served, from hard to soft, mild to strong. Find flavors that mix well together, and serve cheeses from different animals and different countries)

For Everyday Meals:

- Bullion Cubes and Powders (Chicken, Beef and Vegetable)

- White Rice

- Long Grain and Wild Rice

- Brown Rice

- A Variety of Pastas

- Barley

- Bread Crumbs

- Croutons

- Tomato Sauce

- Tomato Paste

- A Variety of Canned Tomatoes

- A Variety of Canned Beans (Black, Red, Kidney and Garbanzo)

- Dried Beans (Pinto, Chili and Kidney)

- Canned Tuna, Chicken, Crab and Clams

For Desserts:

- Canned Pineapple (Chunks and Slices)

- A Variety of Canned Fruits

- A Variety of Jams or Jellies

- A Variety of Cake Mixes, Brownies and Frostings

- A Variety of Packaged Puddings

- All the fixings for Ice Cream Sundaes or Banana Splits

- Applesauce

In the Refrigerator:

- Milk

- Eggs (Or Egg Substitutes)

- Cream (A staple for many Mediterranean Dishes)

- Butter or Margarine

- Yellow Mustard

- Brown Mustard

- Dijon Mustard

- Ketchup

- Mayonnaise or Salad Dressing

- Cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss, Feta, Parmesan and Jack)

- Cottage Cheese

- Sour Cream

- Green Onions

- Tomatoes

- Cilantro

- Salad Fixings

In the Freezer:

- Whole Chicken

- Steaks

- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

- Beef or Pork Roast

- Stew Meat

- Hamburger

- Pork Chops

- Pieces of yellow, red and green peppers (Chop up any leftovers each time you use them and throw them into a bag in the freezer. They will add color and flavor to bland dishes)

- Frozen Bread Dough (Make your own or store bought)

- Frozen Rolls (Make your own or store bought)

- Frozen Pizza Dough (Make your own or store bought)

- Frozen Baguette

- Broccoli

- Spinach

With these ingredients in your kitchen, the only thing you’ll have to worry about when it’s time to cook is which recipe you want to try!



Ricardo

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Delicious Sugar-free Desserts

Sunday, May 25th, 2008
Rachel Jackson asked:


Baking is a popular past time enjoyed by many people around the world. The main benefit of baking is the enjoyment and satisfaction of creating your own desserts. Everybody has their favorite dessert, but it is important to eat these baked goods in moderation. To many, desserts seem unhealthy because they contain a lot of sugar. However, this is not always the case because there are several healthy sugar free alternatives available. When you decide to bake a treat for yourself, first consider what you would like to bake and add sugar-free ingredients. There are many possible choices when it comes to sugar free snacks such as cookies, muffins, cakes and pies. You can eat much healthier while enjoying the same great tasting snacks. These delicious sugar-free desserts can be created in the comfort of your home or purchased at your favorite local bakery.

 

 

Sugar free desserts offer several benefits. The main benefit of choosing sugar-free snacks is the fact that most contain either low calories or zero calories, depending the on the chosen sweetener. Low calories can help prevent obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Switching to artificial sweeteners provides many benefits and all of your favorite snacks can still be created.

 

 

Finding sugar-free desserts at your local bakery

 

 

 

A bakery is an excellent location to satisfy your craving for a delicious snack. Most bakeries have several options available for you to choose from and you can either order your food made fresh or purchase something pre-made. This is a great place to find cakes, pies, cookies and muffins, and, depending on the bakery, may come sugar-free. These are all great desserts, but are healthier if made with sugar-free ingredients. A bakery can also help you find the perfect goodies to fulfill your craving because of the many sugar alternatives available on the market. If your favorite sugar substitute is Splenda, the bakery should have cakes available that use that product, and if they do not you should be able to request a custom baked treat. 

 

 

 

Sugar-free Baking Products

 

 

 

Muffins, cookies and pies are an excellent dessert to choose when beginning to learn how to bake sugar free. Muffins provide a tasty snack, which requires less than an hour to prepare and bake. Muffins also require minimal preparation due to the simplicity of the resulting product. Cookies are very similar to muffins as they are easy to bake and do not take long to create. Holidays are an excellent time to bake because there are many delicious seasonal snacks available. The fall holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving are a time of year when pies are popular desserts. You may also want to consider baking a healthy pumpkin pie with Splenda.

 

 

 

Once you get used to baking some simpler products such as pies, muffins and cookies it is time to take a step further and begin baking a cake. Cakes are also easy and should not take very long to master. You may want to consider baking a sugar free cheesecake because sugar substitutes like Splenda work best when the main purpose of sugar is to sweetness to the finished product.

 

 

 

Splenda as a Sugar Substitute

 

 

 

The recommended alternative to using sucrose is a product called Splenda. Splenda, also known as Sucralose, is 600 times sweeter than your standard table sugar. This granulated sugar alternative scales perfectly with the amount of sugar requested in the recipe. One tip to remember when cooking with Splenda is that it causes your snacks to bake faster. Keep an eye on your snacks to help prevent it from burning. Another important tip to consider is not to replace ingredients such as brown sugar, honey, molasses and fructose as these are necessary in their natural form. Splenda has a brown sugar substitute, which serves as an excellent substitute to brown sugar but remember not to substitute brown sugar with Splenda.

 

 

Enjoy Baking while Eating Healthy

 

 

 

Baking is an enjoyable process, and you can bake while eating healthy at the same time. There are many excellent treats to be made which fulfill your sweat tooth while helping you stay healthy in the process. Several options are cakes, pies, muffins and puddings. These sugar-free products can be purchased at your local bakery or created in your own kitchen. The sugar substitutes replace table sugar, which is also known as sucrose. This helps prevent several major diseases, which can be caused consuming too much sugar. A few tips to remember when starting to bake sugar free are to discover the substitute you like best and stick with that until you perfect your recipe. Splenda is best when added to a recipe as a sweetener.

 

 

 

Next time you decide to bake yourself a delicious snack, remember that you artificial sweeteners like Splenda are a perfect substitute to your standard table sugar. Splenda provides the same sweetness as sucrose with added health benefits. When you begin baking sugar free, these tips should help you learn the basics of sugar free baking along with some desserts you may want to consider baking.

 

 



Christina

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Would you use sugar or Splenda in a Pumpkin Pie?

Friday, May 2nd, 2008
wackadoo asked:


My family and I have been invited to a Thanksgiving Dinner. I offered to bring the Pumpkin Pie. My host responded, “Use Splenda, not sugar”. Personally, I find Splenda repulsively sweet. I asked my host if sugar is restricted in her diet. She said no, but that she doesn’t like it too sweet. (Doesn’t make too much sense to me). So I told her that I didn’t think P.P. uses much sugar, but if my recipe did, I would halve the amount. She said, “or, you can use Splenda”. What would you do in my sitch?

Ray

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