Cleaning Out the Fridge

So on this Saturday, when I'm having my cooking therapy, I decided to clean out the fridge.  Things have a way of hiding in there.  I've gotten a lot better at food management.  I wish I'd had these skills when my kids were little.  But I guess I'm a slow learner.  Anyway, I've very careful about making sure I use up everything and have very little wastage these days.  Although I did find a couple things hiding today that just couldn't be salvaged!

And have you noticed that veggies don't keep like they used to?  My celery never makes it past a week--two at the most.  Carrots, either organic or not, just can't stay in the veg drawer very long.  I had fruits and vegetables that were still good--but if I waited another week, or even a few more days, they'd be history.

Though I didn't get pictures of all the goodies, I was quite productive.  I made:

• Guacamole
• Orange Zinger
• Carrot Juice
• And juiced some lemons and limes

But the crowning project of the day was a carrot cake.  When I told Mike I was making carrot cake he didn't seem too thrilled.  But when he tasted it, I got the "smile of approval."  Suffice it to say, I'll make it again.  Very uncomplicated and VERY good.

Here's the recipe:

Carrot Cake

The original recipe is from a GE Juice Extractor manual.  I changed it up a bit and added a dollop of whipped cream (real cream, mind you).

Carrot Cake with whipped cream.

Since I made carrot juice with my juice extractor, I already had the juice and pulp required for this cake. If you don't have an extractor, you could use milk for the liquid and just finely grate or chop carrots to equal amounts below.

• 1 1/2 cups carrot pulp
• 1/2 cup carrot juice
• 1 cup flour (I used white whole wheat)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar (I used turbino)
• 3/4 vegetable oil (I used applesauce)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
• Confectioners sugar to sprinkle on later (I made whipped cream)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Process carrots to get juice and pulp.  Measure and set aside.  Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and set aside.  Combine eggs, sugar, and oil in medium size bowl.  Add flour mixture alternately with pulp and juice.  Add vanilla and chopped nuts, stir to combine.  Pour into well-greased 9-inch baking pan; bake 35 to 40 minutes.  After cake cools sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

We had this for our dessert tonight.  I want another piece, but I'm not going to give in.

Therapy

Thankfully the weather is improving.  This has been a horribly long winter.  And though today was gloomy and rainy, spring is in the air.  The birds were out and about, things are looking a bit greener, and my daffodils are poking their little heads through the ground.  I could smell the change in the air!

And when I'm home on a Saturday, and I want a pick-me--up, I cook.  Today was no exception.

I started off making potato soup.  It was  kind of late anniversary celebration as last week was our 42nd wedding anniversary and potato soup is the first thing I ever cooked for us as a married couple.  Mike requested it this morning.  I've posted my mom's potato soup previously and it's VERY good.  I almost always use her recipe when I make potato soup. But today, I wanted a little healthier rendition.  How to get the thick, creamy quality of mom's soup without all the flour and milk and butter?  Then it dawned on me.  If you can thicken gravy (vegetarian that is) with white beans, why couldn't you thicken potato soup with potatoes?  Here's how it goes:

My Mom's Potato Soup with a Twist

• Good olive oil
• Potatoes cubed (as many as you want).  I used six large potatoes.
• onion (about 3/4 cup) minced
• water or vegetable broth to cover
• milk of your choice (I used soy milk)
• salt and pepper
• good soy margarine or butter

Decide how much soup you want to make and peel and cube about twice as many potatoes as you normally would.  I used six large potatoes today.

Pour about 1 tablespoon oil into a dutch oven and brown onions slightly.  Add cubed potatoes and just barely cover with water or vegetable broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil and cook gently for about 20 minutes.  When potatoes are done, use a potato masher or immersible blender to mash about half of the potatoes. Don't overdo it or you won't have any body left in the soup!

Gently pour in enough milk to make the soup creamy.  It should be thick.  Don't bring to a boil--heat just until warmed.

Just before serving, add a dollop of butter or margarine and swirl.

I guarntee this will replace your current potato soup recipe.

Potato Soup with a Twist

I just have to share this story.  When Mike and I got home from our honeymoon, I set about deciding what to cook for our first supper in our home together.  I couldn't think of a thing.  I called my mother and asked her what I should cook.  When she said potato soup, I felt great relief, because I had cooked it at home many times.  I made the soup, it was good.  One day down... how many more to go?  I realized on that day that I'd have to decide what to have for supper for the rest of my life.  It was scary.  I wonder if young women (or men) even give that a thought today? 

Chai Tea

I love tea.  I used to stop at Sheetz or Starbucks and treat myself to a Chai tea now and then... I realized they were chock full of sugar and they made me feel sluggish.  So I guess my dietary changes over the years have changed my tastebuds.  I really don't like sweet.

My daughter, Carrie, who has her own cooking blog, Cooking with Carrie, came up with this method so that I can enjoy my tea without guilt. I know Carrie sent me a link to this recipe, but since I can't find it, I'll just explain it.

Directions;

1. Brew yourself a cup of tea using a Chai teabag.  There is no exact ingredient list because it depends on the size of your mug.  Be sure to fill at least 1/3 full to brew.
2. In a jar, (an old jelly or mayo jar will work nicely), add about as much milk, or non dairy milk as you used to brew the tea.  Put on the lid and screw on tightly.
3. Shake vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds until liquid has doubled in volume and is foamy.
4. Heat for 1 minute or less in the microwave without the jar lid. 
5. Gently pour into tea mug and stir.
6. You can add a little sugar or agave if you like to have a sweeter tea.

Chai Tea

This happens to be my weakness.

I use West Soy unsweetened soy milk.

Salmon Chowder

While I profess to be almost vegetarian, I still find myself making some throw-back recipes like this one.  Mike loves it, and it gives him a break from some of the more "hard-core" vegetarian/vegan recipes that I like.  I have changed it up a little, but the fact of having salmon in it makes it ok with him.

Before the Internet one could send can labels (this was even before bar codes) to a manufacturer and get little recipe fliers that promoted a product.  This is from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Juneau, Alaska.  I did not record a date.  I've been making this for well over 20 years.

Ingredients
1 can (15 1/2 ounces) salmon
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 glove minced garlic
3 tablespoons butter or bacon fat I use olive oil now.
2 cups diced potatoes I like to use red-skin potatoes and leave the skin on.
2 cups chicken broth I use veggie broth or broth I save when I steam broccoli.
1 teaspoon salt Canned salmon is salty enough--no salt needed.
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1 can (13 ounces) evaporated milk I use lite coconut milk.
1 can (8 3/4 ounces) cream-style corn

Directions
Drain and flake salmon, reserving liquid.  Saute onion, celery, and garlic in butter or bacon fat.  Add potatoes, chicken broth, and seasonings.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add salmon and reserved liquid, evaporated milk and corn. I just add the salmon and liquid all at once and break it up in the pan as I stir it. Continue cooking until heated through.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

I usually double this because everyone loves it and it goes quickly.  The flavor is even better on the second day.

Sorry, no nutritional information.

Salmon Chowder

Another Snow Day

Roasted Cauliflower

I read this somewhere in my travels--a doctor's office, or a newspaper.  Unfortunately, I can't remember the source.  But last weekend, when Giant had cauliflower on sale, I thought I'd give it a try.  I really like cauliflower, but Mike isn't too crazy about it.  He still isn't.  But this is my favorite cauliflower recipe now.  I'll definitely do it again.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Remove all green parts from cauliflower and thoroughly wash.  Shake dry.  I used parchment paper sprayed with a little olive oil (I made my own little sprayer with a nozzle device from the dollar store) on a baking sheet.
Rub the cauliflower heads with a little oil and salt and pepper to taste. Bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, depending on your oven.  Cauliflower should be turning a little brown, but not burnt.  Also, cauliflower should be fork tender.

Serving:
You can serve as is.  The flavor is great.  I made mashed cauliflower with one head--just like you would mashed potatoes.  With the other, I made a Red Curry Cauliflower Soup.  It's Thai and it was very tasty.

Roasted Cauliflower

You know it's a snow day if I'm in the kitchen:

Chocolate Banana Pound Cake

Oh my, oh my.  So I'm looking for a different way to use of excess bananas.  We always have bananas on hand, and I usually make smoothies, or banana bread.  I was tasting for chocolate and so was Mike. My cookbooks were all old-fashioned spiced banana cakes with cream cheese frosting and I just wasn't in the mood for that.  A quick search on the Internet for Chocolate Banana Pound Cake came up with this amazing recipe.  It's from Food.com, and the contributor, Annie Michelle, said it was passed to her by her mother with "a "tad" of embellishment."
I tweaked this a little to try for a "little" healthier version.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
1 cup butter (room temperature) I used Earth Balance vegan margarine.
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 bananas (mashed)
1/3 cup buttermilk I used Kefir.
3 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 cups flour I used white whole wheat flour.
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt I didn't use any.
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1 cup boiling water
1-12 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (This is optional.)
1 cup chopped pecans (Also optional.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour two 9x5x3 loaf pans.
3. Cream butter, eggs, sugars, bananas, buttermilk, vanilla, and cinnamon.
4. Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, baking cocoa, and pecans.
5. Add dry ingredients to creamed ingredients.  Mix well.
6. Add boiling water and stir rapidly for 2 minutes. I used my stand mixer on low speed to gently stir for 2 minutes.
7. Pour batter into loaf pans.
8. Bake 45 minutes.
9. Remove from oven (gently) and sprinkle chocolate chips over tops of loaves. Wow, this was a mess.  My pans were so full that the chips kept falling off.  So I actually ended up putting them on at the end after the cake at settled a bit.  It only took a few minutes for the chips to get soft enough to spread.  They actually spread better than the chips that made it to the oven.  Those got a little charred.
10. Return to oven for about 15 minutes, or until toothpick comes clean when inserted into center of loaf. Again, I'd just bake it through and add the chips at the end.
11. Remove from oven when finished and place on cooling rack.
12. Use spatula and spread melted chocolate chips in even layer over the loaves.
13. Let cool and remove from pans. I sliced in place.  It came out nicely.
14. You can warm or serve as is.
15. This recipe could also make 48 small cupcakes.  Bake for 20 minutes and substitute a chocolate frosting.

Nutrition (This is following the original recipe.)

Servings per recipe-24

Calories-214.7

Calories from Fat 76

Total fat 8.4 g, saturated 5.1 g, cholesterol 35.9 mg, sugars 20 g, sodium 209.9 mg, total carbs 32.9 g, dietary fiber 1.3 g, protein 2.5 g

Chocolate Banana Pound Cake

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