Raw Fruit Slaw

Posted: November 19, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Recipes | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

I went to make our Thanksgiving cranberry sauce and had a memory of a raw cranberry/whole orange chopped salad I made last year, but never wrote down how I made it.  What a mistake, since my mouth started watering for it even though my brain did not know exactly what was in it.

 

I looked at what I had in the fridge and made this recipe and although it is different I really like it.  It has the added bonus of being high fiber.

 

1-cup fresh pineapple

1 granny smith apple

1 whole orange

1-cup fresh cranberries

3 packets of Splenda (or 2 t. sugar if you want)

2 T. chopped Pecans

 

Cut the apple into quarters and the pineapple into like sized chunks and put in Cuisineart with regular chopping blade in it.

 

Cut the peel off the orange leaving some of the white pith on the flesh.  Put the peel in the Cuisine art.  Cut the pith off the orange and cut it into quarters.  Remove the center membrane from the quarters and put the flesh in the Cuisneart.

 

Add the Cranberries and the Splenda.  Pulse the Cuisnieart about 8 times until the fruit is chopped, but not pulverized.

 

Add the pecans just before eating because you don’t want them to get soggy.

Roast Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash and Pecans

Posted: September 27, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Recipes | Tags: , , | 2 Comments

 

Exactly as advertised.  Nothing but these three ingredients and my ever-present Pam.  So good and fallish.

 

1 butternut squash – peeled, seeded and cubed

2 pints Brussels sprouts cut in half

1/3 cup pecans

Pam

Salt and Pepper

 

Pre heat the oven to 400º-convection — If you don’t have a convection oven heat oven to 425º.  Cover a cookie with foil and spray with Pam.

Spread out butternut squash out on foil in one layer and place in oven for about 25-30 mins.  The squash should start to get a little brown and will be fork tender.

 

Cover another cookie sheet with foil and spray with Pam and lay out the Brussels sprout halves on it.  Place in oven and roast about 20 minutes until the cut sides get a little brown.

 

Toast pecans in a fry pan on stove for 2 minutes, stirring.  Once toasted chop them in half.

 

Mix everything together once cooked and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast Cauliflower with Raisins, Pecans and Capers

Posted: September 3, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Recipes | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

I love cauliflower, but the rest of my family thinks they do not, so I am always attempting to find ways they might change their minds.  Unfortunately I made the calorie laden cauliflower au gratin once and so that is the high bar mark for a vegetable they would rather not have at all.

Today’s recipe is a much healthier use that also encompasses sweet, tart and salty flavors with a little crunch.

1 head of cauliflower broken into bite size florets

¼ c. golden raisins

2 T. capers drained of brine

2 T. chopped green herbs – I used chives, Italian parsley and thyme because that is what I had in the garden, but you could use any combo you like

2T. Sherry vinegar

Salt and pepper

¼ c. toasted pecans

Preheat the oven to 400º

Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray with pam.  Place the cauliflower in a single layer on the cookie sheet and place in the oven to roast for about 30 minutes it should get a little brown.

Mix everything else except the pecans together in a small bowl and let flavors marry together.

Roughly chop the toasted pecans.

When cauliflower is done.  Place it on a platter and sprinkle the vinegar mixture over it and then the pecans.  Serve.

You can also eat it cold, but save the pecans and put on right before you eat it.

Pecan, Fennel and Squash Cake

Posted: July 15, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Recipes | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

 

This is not a diet recipe, but I figure you need a little treat and I still have too much squash.  I have made a ton of zucchini breads that are filling my freezer and being given away to everyone with a new baby or relative visiting.  I can’t remember where I got this idea for a cake but I know I read a recipe somewhere that inspired this one.  What is the difference between a zucchini bread and squash cake.  I am not a baker by trade, but breads are usually made with oil and cakes with butter.

 

I baked this one as a loaf and had too much batter so I baked this little ramekin cake.  I had one bite to make sure it was good.  I gave the rest to Russ who asked me if it had a lot of sour cream in it because it was so moist.  That was the squash.  It really does make a good cake.

 

6 cups of grated squash- I used zucchini and yellow squash

1 cup of pecans – toasted and chopped

2 t. fennel seeds

1 ¼ cups of butter

1 ½ cups of sugar

5 eggs

2 cups of flour

2 t. vanilla

½ t. salt

2 t. baking powder

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350º.

Grate the squash in the cuisineart and put in a colander and let drain for a half an hour.  Squish all the water you can out of it.

 

In a mixer put the butter and the sugar and beat together on med, high until if gets fluffy.  Add the eggs and vanilla and continue beating.  Add the flour, baking soda and salt and just mix it enough to incorporate it.

 

Take the bowl out of the mixer and add the squash, pecans and fennel and just fold it all together.

 

Spray Pam in a 9 x 5 loaf pan.  Pour the batter in the pan and bake for about 1 hour.