Another cooking thread, LOL

[ICLori]

Okay, everyone, what have you been cooking/baking lately?

I decided it's time to harvest and dry my herbs since it's getting colder, and so I cut off a bunch of my rosemary branches, and will harvest the sage soon too. Cut off the chives to use today.

Anyway, found a recipe for Rosemary Garlic mashed potatoes that I want to try soon....thought I would share it with you guys...

Blessings,
Lori

Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Recipe #843692 ratings
This is one of our favorite mashed potato recipes during the Holiday season! Cooking time Includes roasting time for garlic



4 servings 1¼ hours 10 min prep
Change to: servings US Metric
1 head roasted garlic (recipe included)
2 1/2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces (5 medium)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 cup whipping cream or half-and-half
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Prepare Roasted Garlic.
Place potato pieces in medium saucepan; add water to cover and 1 teaspoon salt.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 12 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Drain potatoes; set aside.
Place cream, milk, butter and rosemary in small saucepan; heat over medium-high heat about 3 minutes or until butter melts and mixture simmers, stirring often.
Mash potatoes with potato masher until smooth.
Add roasted garlic and milk mixture; beat with electric mixer until smooth.
Beat in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.
Serve hot.
Roasted Garlic: Cut off top third of 1 large garlic head to expose cloves; discard top.
Place head of garlic, trimmed end up, on 10-inch square of foil.
Rub garlic generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Gather foil ends together and close tightly.
Roast in preheated 350 degree oven 45 minutes or until cloves are golden and soft.
When cool enough to handle, squeeze roasted garlic cloves from skins; discard skins.

[traceann]

Mmmm, sounds yummy! And looks quite figure friendly too, *wink wink* ;)

My latest escapade was some Halloween Sugar Cut-Out cookies. Ugh. I decided I was going to do fancy icing with the Royal Icing bit - you know pipe the lines and details on etc etc. Yeah, it was my first time ever trying that, and you could tell. Finally I got so irritated (one batch too stiff to pipe, etc) I pitched all the colors and just spread the one batch of orange on my jack-o-lanterns and made them plain pumpkins and called it good. LOL!! I was also PMSing so that may have had something to do with my impatience, where I normally have patience! LMAO!!

Oh cripes, that story reminds me of a tale when I was with my first fiance, way back in the early 90's... I was making him cookies, I think they were cut-outs, not sure anymore, at his house, since at the time my oven at home was on the fritz. So, had the first batch all ready to go in the oven on the cookie sheet, and I can't remember what happened, but he made me mad somehow. So, I promptly walked over to the trash and slid all the waiting-to-be-baked cookies on the cookie sheet right into the garbage and the extra dough as well! LOL Gosh, you should have seen the look on his face!! LMAO!!!

Wow, I suppose I better get harvesting my herbs as well and start acclimating them to the indoors - my rosemarys anyway. Tis' the season....

[Rosalie]

:lmao: Looks like nobodys cooking anymore Lori! There must be some very hungry Icers out there :lmao:
With summer on its way here, I am ion the lookout for new salad ideas, especially ones with the yellow tomatoes. We will have to plant some as they are difficult to find in the supermarkets.

[traceann]

Crazy eh Ro? I have been in a cooking rut lately anyway, so hubby and I went out to eat a LOT last couple weeks, lol.

I will keep my eyes posted - is there anything you don't like so I can make sure it/they don't have that ingredient etc???

[Rosalie]

Thanks Tracey, theres not too much that I don't like...as the scales will confirm hahahaha...
I'm not a fan of offal or licorice though.

[traceann]

My goodness, you certainly are easy to work with!! LOL

[SharonA]

Here is a great Fruitcake:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar or 2 Tbsp. Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg whites
2/3 cup chopped dried apricots
2/3 cup dried pineapple chunks
2/3 chopped pitted prunes
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped dried dates or chopped walnuts or both

Preheat oven to 325*F.
Spray (2)-5x3-inch loaf pans with cooking spray.

1) In a large mixing bowl - Combine the flour, brown sugar, and baking powder. Stir well to mix.

2) Add the applesauce and egg whites. Stir well to mix.

3) Fold in the fruits.

4) Divide the mixture evenly between the 2 prepared pans.

5) Bake at 325*F for about 45 minutes or just until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of each loaf comes out clean.

6) Remove the bread from the oven. Let sit for 10 minutes.

7) Invert the loaves onto a wire rack. Turn right side up. Cool to room temperature.

NOTE: Wrap the bread in foil. Let sit overnight before slicing and serving.

[SharonA]

Here is my favorite Apple Crisp: (I double this recipe and bake it in a 9x13-inch baking dish.)

Filling:
1 cup Splenda Granular
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. orange zest (I use the dried orange peel found in spice dept.)
1/4 cup orange juice (I use the kind found in the Baby Food dept. in small jars)
5 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices

Topping:
1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats
2 Tbsp. Splenda Granular
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. butter - softened (I use Smart Balance brand)
1/2 cup crisp rice cereal
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350*F.
Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Make Topping:
1) In a medium bowl - Stir together oats, Splenda and cinnamon.

2) Cut butter in with a pastry blender or knives until mixture is crumbly.

3) Stir in cereal and walnuts. Set aside.

Make Filling:
1) In a large bowl - Whisk together the Splenda, cinnamon, orange zest and orange juice.

2) Add apples. Toss to coat.

3) Transfer mixture to prepared pan.

4) Spoon set aside Topping Mixture over the apples.

5) Bake at 350*F for 45 minutes or until topping is lightly browned.

NOTE: Serve warm.
HINT: If you want a less juicy Crisp - Let cool - Place in fridge until the next day - Warm in a 350*F oven for 30 to 45 minutes.

[Annie2]

MMMmmmm......sounds yummy!

Haven't tried this recipe yet, but plan to & thought I'd share it cause it sounds good and pretty IC-friendly. I found this in the latest newletter from Dorothy Lane Market (a great grocery in the Dayton, OH area). They say it is adapted from Bristol Farms Real Food magazine, Fall 2006.

MAPLE-GINGER PEAR CRISP
Serve this with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a luscious dessert.

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp kosher salt

2 oz. (4 Tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (plus additional for
buttering baking dish)

2 lbs. firm pears (about 4-5 pears), peeled, cored and cut into bite-sized
chunks

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (I'd just omit this if you can't tolerate lemon at all)

1/4 cup real maple syrup ( the REAL stuff...not that artificial maple-flavored
junk that many ICers can't tolerate)

1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium-sized bowl, combine oats, sugar, flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly and all ingredients are incorporated. Place in refrigerator while preparing pears. Butter a deep dish pie plate or 8x8 baking dish.

In large bowl, combine pears and lemon juice and toss well. Add maple syrup and grated ginger and toss again to combine. Spoon pears into prepared dish. Evenly sprinkle crumb mixture on top of fruit. Bake until fruit is bubbling and topping is browned, about 55 minutes. Serve hot or warm. Makes 6-8 servings.

[Rosalie]

Oh Yumm... to all those recipes. I have printed them all out and are looking forward to trying them.
I was a bit intrigued by the 'crisp' recipes until I realized that they sound similar to a 'crumble', my husbands favourite. The pear recipe sounds particularly interesting.
Sharon, I have to ask about 'golden raisins' are they sultanas?

[SharonA]

Hey Rosalie...How ya doing?

I don't recognize the word Saltanas. Is that a brand name there? (I just looked the word up in my dictionary. From the definition, it does sound right.) We have Sunmaid Raisins here and can get generic ones, also. Golden Raisins are a light gold in color. They also have a milder taste and become a bit softer when used in baking. I like them better than the regular ones.

Hint to everyone about the Fruitcake...Since it is made with applesauce as an oil substitute, it will have a different 'feel' in the mouth. It dries out quicker, also. I store mine in the fridge to keep them fresh longer. It is also low in fat (no oil) and lower in calories because of the Splenda.

Annie...The pear crisp sounds wonderful. For me, I would use about 1 tsp. of the lemon juice instead of the 1 Tbsp. I would also use Smart Balance instead of the butter and salt and Splenda Brown Blend instead of the brown sugar. Always thinking how to get things lower in calories and Trans Fat. Oh yes!!!! Always use real Maple Syrup whenever you can. Just like always using real Vanilla Extract instead of the fake stuff.

[Rosalie]

http://static.flickr.com/104/299738350_e48175cfe6_o.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/120/299738355_78d9e6a588_m.jpg

I was amazed that 'sultanas' weren't universal, hahahaha... just shows you that when you grow up with something you think everyone knows about it. From what I have now learned sultanas and golden raisins are very similar and could be used as substitutes.

[SharonA]

Yep, Rosalie...I think those will do. They do look similar to golden raisins. And yes, it is fun when we can learn about similar but slightly different cultural things. :)

[traceann]

YUM!! Thanks for the recipes gals! On my printer right now... ;) It's always so much fun to find out what we all call things in different parts of the world isn't it?? :)

[SharonA]

On the Diet & IC Board, a member talked about Gastric Bypass Surgery and the need to be able to eat sugar-free jello. That caused me to remember that I have a decent recipe for it. I adapted an old recipe. I used grape juice. It worked great, but I am able to tolerate grape juice in small quantities. I bet you could use pear juice, apple juice or blueberry if you can find sugar-free.


Sugar-free Gelatin

1 and 1/2 cups sugar-free fruit juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup Splenda (or less to taste)
1/2 cup sugar-free fruit juice

1. In a large sauce pan - Bring the 1 and 1/2 cups fruit juice to a boil

2. In a medium bowl - Add gelatin, Splenda and the 1/2 cup juice - Stir well.

3. Let stand for approx. 1 minute.

4. Add the 1 and 1/2 cups hot fruit juice.

5. Stir until dissolved (5 minutes).

6. Pour into a 2-cup mold, dessert dishes or leave in bowl - Chill until firm.

HINT: If desired, chill to soft set. Then fold in 1 and 1/2 cups fruit or vegetables.

[traceann]

Great recipe Sharon!!!!! :)