An Apple Pie in a Tortilla

SXM Strudel

This recipe comes from The Everyday Herbivore, by Lindsay S. Nixon.  Yes, it's my favorite cookbook right now.  What I like most about it is that the recipes are easy, tasty, and healthy.  So, other than the fact that I need to learn how to wrap a tortilla, it turned out very well.  Both my husband and I loved it, and my daughter-in-law requested the recipe.  So here goes.  Enjoy.

SXM Strudel

Ingredients:

1 apple, cored and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon  brown sugar

dash of ground cinnamon

1 whole wheat tortilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
2. Toss the apples in a mixing bowl with sugar and several dashes of cinnamon, until the apple slices are well-coated.
3. If you want the ooey-gooey, apple-pie filling,  you'll need to pan-fry the apples while your oven preheats (otherwise, put raw apples straight in the tortillas as directed in # 4).  Line a skillet with a thin layer of water and saute apples over high heat until they start to soften and the water has cooked off.  About 4 minutes.
4. Turn off heat and quickly microwave your tortilla for 5 to 15 seconds, so that it's soft and pliable (perhaps longer if you kept it in the fridge, but it shouldn't be longer than 20 to 30 seconds).
5. Spoon the apples into the center of the tortilla, setting a few slices aside, then roll up the tortilla like a burrito.
6. Place it, crease side down on the baking sheet with a few apple slices over the top.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden and crispy, but not burned, or bake for less time if you still want it to be soft.

 

Any one who knows me, knows that I didn't make just one.  I must have quadrupled!  But they refrigerate well, and Mike and I had them for breakfast on days 2 and 3.

 

 Nutritional Info:  182 calories, 1 gram fat, 44.9 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 27.9 grams sugars, 1.9 grams protein

Chefs Note:  For a more decadent treat, combine 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of nondairy milk to form a thick glaze.  Adjust milk as necessary.  Dip a fork into the glaze and drizzle it over the warm strudel.

And here's an idea:  Why not use a tortilla as a pie crust?  I haven't tried it yet, but I think it would work great as a single crust pie.

How to Fold a Burrito--I should have watched this first!

 

 

 

 

 

Butter Bean Cookies

Butter Bean Cookies

Butter Bean Cookies
From:  Everyday Happy Herbivore
By:  Lindsay S. Nixon

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats, divided
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt (optional) I didn't use!
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• dash of ground cardamom (optional) I did use.
• 1-15 oz. can white beans, drained and unrinsed, reserving all the liquid
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips   As I didn't have vegan chips on hand, I used regular chocolate chips.

 To prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a large cookie sheet or line with parchment paper and set aside.  I used parchment paper.
2. Place 3/4 cups of the oats in a blender or food processor and pulse, about 15 times, until crumbly.  Don't let it get like flour. I used food processor.
3. Transfer to a mixing bowl and combine with the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom.  Whisk to incorporate and set aside.
4. Place 1/2 cup of beans in food processor or blender and add applesauce, sugar, vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon of the reserved bean liquid.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into dry mixture and stir about 10 times. Again, I used a food processor.  And really, only stir about 10 times.  It won't be mixed together yet, but it will come along nicely in a minute.
5.  Add chocolate chips, remaining 1/4 cup of oats, and the rest of the reserved bean liquid, stirring until well blended. It should take on the consistency of cookie dough! If too wet, add more oats, if too dry, add a little water.
6. Drop tablespoons of batter onto the cookie sheet, leaving an inch between cookies.  Flatten slightly.  They should look more like cookies than balls. This was just like putting regular cookies on a cookie sheet.  I just took the back of the spoon and flattened a little.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges are just turning light brown and middles are firm.  The bottoms should become golden brown.  The cookies will firm a bit as they cool.  15 minutes was right-on for my oven.  I removed from parchment as soon as I took them out of the oven and allowed to cool on a cookie rack.  The flavor, texture, and aroma, would not give this away as a healthy cookie.

Nutritional Information: (1 cookie)
 61 calories, 0.7 grams fat, 12.4 grams carbohydrates, 1.4 grams fiber, 5.2 grams sugars, 1.3 grams protein

How to Use Over-Ripe Bananas

I love smoothies.  I first had one when I stayed at a bed and breakfast in Buchanan, West Virginia.  We were the only guests that weekend and the chef took a lot of time preparing our breakfasts and lunches.  The only problem with smoothies is that most are high in calories.  This smoothie, from Everyday Happy Herbivore, by Lindsay S. Nixon, is absolutely amazing.  Smooth and rich, my husband Michael said, "It can't be healthy, it's too good."  It comes in at 334 calories, which is still nothing to snicker at, but as smoothies go, on the light side.  It's also a great way to use up those bananas that ripen a bit too quickly.  Just peel, and pop into a zip lock baggie and put in the freezer.  Then when you're ready to rumble, so are your bananas.  Enjoy! (My comments in bold.)

Banana Smoothie

Serves 1 (I often double--my blender handles it just fine.)
Ms. Nixon calls this a "cheater" recipe because it has peanut butter.

2 frozen bananas
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter (I like chunky and I get it from a local store that just grinds the peanuts and adds nothing else.)
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I usually add a few tablespoons more for consistency)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and whiz until smooth, adding more non-dairy milk as necessary.

Nutritional Information:  334 calories, 10.1 grams fat, 65 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams fiber, 31.9 grams sugars, 9.1 grams protein

Sorry I don't have a photo, but I'll try to add one later.
 

Apple Fritter Cups or Baked Apple Fritters

Always looking for something healthy in the snack line, I came across this in the Everyday Happy Happy Herbivore, by Lindsay S. Nixon.  I've been very pleased with every recipe I've tried from this cookbook.  My comments are in bold text.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chopped apple (skin optional)  If it's organic I use the skin.  If not, I peel.
1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
1/4 cup light brown or raw sugar
1 cup non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (didn't use)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
dash of ground nutmeg or ground ginger (I used nutmeg this time.)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Basic Glaze (to follow)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Fill muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.  If planning to eat warm, lightly spray papers with oil to prevent sticking.  If you cool, papers will peel off nicely without oil.)
3. Toss 1 cup of chopped apples with a few dashes of cinnamon and a little brown sugar until well coated and set aside.  (This is the topping.)
4. In a small bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, plus a dash of nutmeg or ginger, and stir to combine. Whisk in sugar, then pour in milk mixture.  Add vanilla and remaining 1/2 cup of apples and stir to combine.
5. Spoon into muffin cups, filling just a tad more than halfway.  Add sugar-cinnamon apple topping to each.
6. Bake 15 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  I did 15 minutes, but I have a very hot oven.
7. Meanwhile, make Basic Glaze, substituting1 teaspoon of liquid with 1 teaspoon of pure maple syrup (optional).  That's what I did.
8. Drizzle warm fritters with glaze.

Nutritional Information (1 fritter without glaze):  102 calories, 0.4 grams fat, 20.9 grams carbohydrats, 2.4 grams fiber, 5.5 grams sugars, 2.7 grams protein



Basic Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
5 tablespoons non-dairy milk

Combine sugar with non-dairy milk and stir until a glaze forms.  If it's too thick, add more liquid.  If too thin, add more sugar.

Nutritional Information for 1 tablespoon:  61 calories, 0 grams fat, 15.2 grams carbohydrates, 0 grams fiber, 14.9 grams sugars, 0.1 grams protein.

By Request

Seitan And Mushroom Stew
From: The Everything Vegetarian Slow Cooker Cookbook
By: Amy Snyder and Justin Snyder

Ingredients / Serves 4

• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, sliced (I always use sweet onions)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup carrots, chopped (this was two regular size carrots)
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced (I used cremini)
• 2 cups seitan, cubed (You can used homemade or store bought.  This time I used store bought--Upton Naturals, traditional flavor, 8 ounces)
• 3 cups of your favorite vegetable broth (I made my own)
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 cup potatoes, peeled and cubed (I used red, and I didn't peel)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• 1/2 teaspoon
•  salt1/4 teaspoon pepper (I go light on the salt and heavy on the pepper)

1. In a saute pan over medium heat, add the extra virgin olive oil, onions, and garlic, and saute for 3 minutes.
2. Add the sauteed vegetables and all remaining ingredients to a 4-qt. slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low heat for 4-5 hours.

 Per serving:  Calories 207 / Fat 7 g / Protein 9 g / Sodium 891 mg / Fiber 9/5 g / Carbohydrates 28.5 g / Sugar 10 g

This is a very flavorful soup. I serve with homemade bread.  Even the hubby who isn't a huge fan of seitan likes it.

Beef Tongue

Don't be turned off by beef tongue.  Though it's a rarity at my house these days, it's the one meat indulgence I allow myself since becoming vegetarian.  My mom used to cook her beef tongue in the pressure cooker.  If you do, only cook for about one hour.  For a little extra flavor, you can also add sliced onion to the pot.  My mother tricked so many people into eating tongue--including my husband.  My husband is a fan now and wishes we'd have it more than once or twice a year.

I broke down yesterday and bought one at market because they looked good.  

Beef Tongue

Wash the tongue thoroughly and cover with water in a Dutch oven.  Also add salt and pepper to your taste.  Cover and boil for three or four hours—or until tongue can be easily pierced with a fork.  Remove tongue to platter to cool.  When cool enough to handle, remove skin by pulling away from the meat.  It should pull off easily.  The skin can be discarded.  Slice the tongue.  We season with salt and pepper and eat cold or hot.  It makes great sandwiches.

This is the one meat indulgence I have allowed myself in recent years.  When I became a vegetarian, I would sometimes eat meat, but in the last year, I have been pretty strict with myself.  I did make tongue last year right before my mom died.  I took her some and she seemed to really enjoy it.  I’ll probably make it again some day… I do have a weakness here!

From:  DILYLOPR'S Cookbook Chronicles  

Vegetable Soup from Beef Broth

Using broth obtained from cooking some beef, fill a Dutch oven* half to three-quarters full.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Add a bag of frozen soup vegetables, one or two potatoes, diced, onions, fresh sliced carrots.  My mom always added a can of Campbell's condensed Tomato Soup.  I like to add diced turnips Bring to a boil and cook for 20 to 40 minutes at a simmer.  Flavors blend while cooling, so this soup is usually better the next day.

That is the recipe my mother made and it is fabulous.  Today, I use vegetable broth unless I have just cooked a beef tongue (cause I’m not going to waste anything).  With vegetable soup, you can do so much. I sometimes add turnips, or sweet potatoes, or left over veggies.  Sometimes I use all fresh veggies and skip the frozen packet entirely.  You can add a dash of Tabasco (I think this is my favorite now!) or a quarter cup of pasta or grain for a heartier soup.  I swear, you won’t miss the beef broth.

*This can also be cooked in the pressure cooker for approximately 2o minutes.

From:  DILYLOPR'S Cookbook Chronicles

Hattie's Potato Soup

Hattie’s Potato Soup

        4-5 medium to large potatoes, peeled and diced

        ½ cup diced onion

        Salt and pepper to taste

        Butter

        Flour and water for thickening

Place potatoes and onion in large pot.  Cover with just enough water to cover potatoes and onions. Bring to boil and cook for about 20 minutes—or until potatoes are cooked, but still firm.  Make thickening in 4-cup liquid measure.  Use about ½ cup to ¾ flour.  Add water, to about two cups while beating with wire whisk to prevent lumps.  Beat until smooth.  When potatoes are cooked, while potato liquid is gently boiling, add thickening slowly and stir constantly.  When soup begins to simmer, turn down eat.  Add butter, mom also did about ½ stick and salt and pepper to taste.  You may serve with crackers.

UPDATE:  I fix this soup today by sautéing potatoes and onions in a bit of olive oil.   Then I add water and follow other directions except that I use soy milk and absolutely no butter.  You really can’t tell the difference.

From:  DILYLOPR'S Cookbook Chronicles

This soup was the first meal I prepared in my married life.