Saturday, December 29, 2007

LOW FAT RICE PUDDING

Low Fat Rice Pudding Made with skim milk and Splenda, this rice pudding is guilt free!

4 servings
25 min 5 min prep
1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain rice
2 cups skim milk, divided
1/2 cup Splenda sugar substitute
1 large egg, beaten
2/3 cup raisins (soak in rum first, if preferred)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine rice, 1 1/2 cups milk and Splenda in a heavy saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes or until thick and creamy.
Heat the remaining 1/2 cup milk in a microwavable dish for one minute in the microwave. Slowly add to the beaten egg while whisking, making sure not to end with scrambled eggs.
Pour this mixture into the rice mixture and cook an additional 2 minutes stirring constantly.
Add Vanilla and Cinnamon.
Serve warm or chilled.
Good with a dallop of lite cool whip!


Nutrition Facts
Calculated for 1 serving (220g) Recipe makes 4 servings
The following items or measurements are not included below:
1/2 cup Splenda sugar substitute

Calories 222 Calories from Fat 16 (7%)

Amount Per Serving (%DV)
Total Fat 1.9g, (2%), Saturated Fat 0.7g (3%), Polyunsat. Fat (0.2g), Monounsat. Fat 0.6g, Trans Fat 0.0g, Cholesterol 55mg (18%), Sodium 93mg (3%), Potassium 446mg (12%), Total Carbohydrate 43.4g (14%), Dietary Fiber 1.4g (5%), Sugars 14.6g, Protein 8.8g (17%), Vitamin A 312mcg (6%), Vitamin B6 0.2mg (9%), Vitamin B12 0.7mcg (11%), Vitamin C 2mg (3%), Vitamin E 0mcg (1%), Calcium 207mg (20%), Magnesium 36mg (9%), Iron 1mg (9%), Alcohol 0.4g, Caffeine 0.0mg

FLU REMEDY

Cold season is approaching, and I always catch it in my chest. It either turns to bronchitis or pneumonia. Anyway, this really works.

My friend told me that there is a natural antibiotic in the skin of a grapefruit, but it must be cooked to release the benefits of the enzyme. So the recipe goes like this.

Four cups of water
1/2 of a whole grapefruit.

Do not remove the peel. Quarter the fruit, and boil in the water for at least ten minutes. Then squeeze all of the water possible out of the fruit.

I use tongs for this because the fruit is insanely hot. Do not eat the rind, but get as much of the fruit as possible, as it obviously has the vitamins. Sweeten as you wish, because it's bitter as hell. Drink as a warm tea. You get used to it.

Repeat three times a day. This has been known to cut my colds/illnesses in half. I have shared this recipe with every friend who is ill. All have had wonderful results. Some have even gone back to their doctors for "needed" follow-ups with a clean bill of health that wasn't expected.

My friend was then questioned what she did to get rid of the illness, as no other patients were getting well with regular medication. However, if you are on cholesterol medication, like Lipator, grapefruit is off limits. Something to keep in mind.

SWEET HEALTH DRINK

Sweet Health

Ingredients
1-cup orange juice
1-Tbsp. rosemary1-tsp. vanilla
2-Tbsp. whipped cream
1 slice of orange (garnish)

Method:
Make a warm tea of the orange juice, rosemary and vanilla, then strain. Serve slightly warm with 1-Tbsp. whipped cream blended in, and one on top for garnish with a slice of fresh orange.

History/Lore:
While many people think of rosemary in terms of remembrance, in the Middle Ages it was lauded as having many restorative qualities for health. The high content of Vitamin C in oranges aids this feature.

Alternative:
This is also good cold, served over chipped ice with a mint leaf for extra energy.

HONEYCAKES

Honeycakes

2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp honey (I like orange blossom or wildflower)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp white wine / apple cider (I use cider more often - I like the taste of apple in the cakes)
1 tsp herbs or spice for your intention (charged as usual - see note at bottom)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt2 tbsp oats

Directions:
Cream shortening, sugar, eggs, honey, vanilla and wine/cider. Add herbs or spices. Blend in baking powder, flour, salt, and oats. Mix well.

Spoon batter onto a cookie sheet, or roll out and cut into the shape of a crescent moon. (I usually go with the quicker spooning method). Bake at 350 degrees F for 9 to 10 minutes.

As with this kind of cookieish recipe, if the cakes look brown and done in the oven, they are overdone.

Some herbs I have used for Samhain:
thyme - for courage and communing with the deceased
lotus - for aiding spirits in reincarnation. It's sold as a paste or as seeds in some asian groceries.
chervil - aid in communing with the deceased, and in guiding spirits to peace and serenity
apple - I have used little bits of dried apple in the cakes, since apples are part of most (including mine) Samhain rituals.

CARDAMON BUTTER COOKIES

Cardamom Butter Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

For espresso and chocolate icings:
1 teaspoon instant-espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons milk
1 cup confectioners sugar
3 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), melted

Special equipment: 2 small heavy-duty sealable plastic bags (for icing; not pleated) I just drizzle it on with a spoon

Make cookies:
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, and allspice in a bowl.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes in a stand mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 4 minutes with a handheld. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then mix in flour mixture until just combined.

Form dough into 2 (12-inch) logs (1 1/2 inches in diameter), each on its own sheet of plastic wrap. Use plastic wrap and your hands to roll, press, and square off sides of logs. Chill logs on a baking sheet until slightly firm, about 1 hour, then smooth logs with plastic wrap and flat side of a ruler to achieve straight sides. Chill logs on baking sheet until firm, about 1 hour.

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Cut enough scant 1/4-inch-thick slices from a log with a knife to fill 2 large ungreased baking sheets, arranging slices about 1 inch apart (chill remaining dough, wrapped in plastic wrap). Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes total. Cool on sheets 3 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets.

Ice cookies:

Whisk together espresso powder, vanilla, and 1 1/2 tablespoons milk until espresso powder is dissolved, then add confectioners sugar and enough additional milk to make a thick but pourable icing. Spoon into a sealable bag and snip 1/8 inch off a bottom corner.

Spoon melted chocolate into another sealable bag and snip 1/8 inch off a bottom corner.Pipe some espresso icing and chocolate over each cookie and let cookies stand on racks until icing sets, about 2 hours.

Cooks' notes:• Dough logs can be chilled 5 days or frozen, wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap, 1 month (thaw in refrigerator just until they can be sliced).• Cookies (with or without icing) keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week. (above recipe is from Epicurious )

ORANGE WHISKEY MARMALADE (CELTIC)

Orange Whiskey Marmalade (celtic)
MINUTES 20 minutes to make 50 minutes to cook
From "Irish Puddings, Tarts, Crumbles and Fools" by Margaret M. Johnson (Chronicle, $24.95)

Before making the marmalade, prepare the jars, lids, and bands for canning.

4 large oranges
2 large or 3 small lemons
2 1/2 cups water
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
One 1 3/4 -ounce package powdered fruit pectin
5 1/2 cups sugar
Pinch of ground cloves
1/4 cup Irish whiskey

With a vegetable peeler or zester, remove the zest (the colored part of the peel) in strips from the oranges and lemons and chop. With a knife, scrape off all the white membrane, or pith, from the peeled fruit. Set aside. Chop the fruit, reserving the juice and removing the seeds.

In a large, nonreactive saucepan over medium heat, bring the zest, water and baking soda to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer, stirring several times, for 20 minutes, or until the zest begins to soften. Add the fruit, juice and pectin, and simmer for 20 minutes longer. Stir in the sugar, raise the heat to medium-high, add the cloves and bring to a boil.

Continue to boil, stirring constantly, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the mixture reaches 220 degrees on an instead-read thermometer and begins to get syrupy. Stir in the whiskey.

Immediately spoon the hot marmalade into the hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headroom at the top of the jars. Wipe the rims clean, seal with lids and bands, and store in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year. (Marmalade thickens as it cools, but it may take 2 to 3 days to fully set.)

Makes 4 pints. Per serving (per tablespoon): 37 calories; 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat; 0 percent calories from fat); 9 g carbohydrates; 0 mg cholesterol; 2 mg sodium; 0 g protein; 0.2 g fiber.