First Spring Herbs Omelette Sans Yolks

This week I noticed the herbs I planted last spring in pots for a summer rental were sprouting! These early sprouts are the most delicate lovely tasting of the season. After all the heavy rains last night there were just enough to I make an omelette.

Follow the post for instructions of how to make a fluffy egg white omelette that is posted today April 17, 2011
Once beaten you need only incorporate the herbs..mine were chives, tarragon and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste at the end to keep the omelette tender.

I paired it  on my plate with two tiny bananas grilled lightly in the cast iron

YUM!!

First Spring Herbs Omelette Sans Yolks

This week I noticed the herbs I planted last spring in pots for a summer rental were sprouting! These early sprouts are the most delicate lovely tasting of the season. After all the heavy rains last night there were just enough to I make an omelette.

Follow the post for instructions of how to make a fluffy egg white omelette that is posted today April 17, 2011
Once beaten you need only incorporate the herbs..mine were chives, tarragon and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste at the end to keep the omelette tender.

I paired it  on my plate with two tiny bananas grilled lightly in the cast iron

YUM!!

Beet Borscht

One of my favorite memories from childhood was going to to Lindy's with my dad. The restaurant was large and noisy, the walls were covered with photos of movie stars. Waiters were rushing about and there was a feeling of being at an enormous party. I remember sitting up particularly straight so I could see everything that was going on.
The foods were familiar, Jewish and delicious.
They had an enormous menu. I remember ordering beet borscht and a wonderful apple pancake.

My grandmother had always made the classic Russian cabbage and meat borscht. But prior to this I had only had beet borscht from a jar we bought at the grocery store.  Beet borscht at Lindy's  came not only the standard sour cream but also, with a hot boiled potato! I had never seen it this way and when I put a bit of the hot potato into the soup it was nothing short of miraculous!


I am including  a link  here to a description of the venerable Lindy's that  I visited so long ago with my dad.

http://nyapril1946.blogspot.com/2010/09/lindys-already-legendary-in-1946.html

Beet Borscht

3 large boiling beets
cover with water
Sour Salt, (dried citric acid, available at gourmet stores) or lemon juice
Salt
Potato
Sour Cream
Dill


Wash and scrub beets. Cover beets with water. Add salt and boil. Remove the beets and slip the skins off in cold water. Grate the beets, either a food processor or a medium sized hole of a box grater will do..Rubber gloves will be handy here.
Put the grated beet back into the cooking water. Starting with 1 teaspoon of sour salt or a tablespoon or two of lemon juice and then add some granulated sugar  stirring and adding a little at a time alternating sour salt and sugar if necessary, until you have a tart but not too tart sweet sour taste. Add a little salt if necessary. Chill well and serve with a large dollop of sour cream and a hot boiled potato with a bit of chopped dill
Note: sugar can be replaced with agave syrup or stevia and there is  very good fat free sour cream which I use.

Beet Borscht

One of my favorite memories from childhood was going to to Lindy's with my dad. The restaurant was large and noisy, the walls were covered with photos of movie stars. Waiters were rushing about and there was a feeling of being at an enormous party. I remember sitting up particularly straight so I could see everything that was going on.
The foods were familiar, Jewish and delicious.
They had an enormous menu. I remember ordering beet borscht and a wonderful apple pancake.

My grandmother had always made the classic Russian cabbage and meat borscht. But prior to this I had only had beet borscht from a jar we bought at the grocery store.  Beet borscht at Lindy's  came not only the standard sour cream but also, with a hot boiled potato! I had never seen it this way and when I put a bit of the hot potato into the soup it was nothing short of miraculous!


I am including  a link  here to a description of the venerable Lindy's that  I visited so long ago with my dad.

http://nyapril1946.blogspot.com/2010/09/lindys-already-legendary-in-1946.html

Beet Borscht

3 large boiling beets
cover with water
Sour Salt, (dried citric acid, available at gourmet stores) or lemon juice
Salt
Potato
Sour Cream
Dill


Wash and scrub beets. Cover beets with water. Add salt and boil. Remove the beets and slip the skins off in cold water. Grate the beets, either a food processor or a medium sized hole of a box grater will do..Rubber gloves will be handy here.
Put the grated beet back into the cooking water. Starting with 1 teaspoon of sour salt or a tablespoon or two of lemon juice and then add some granulated sugar  stirring and adding a little at a time alternating sour salt and sugar if necessary, until you have a tart but not too tart sweet sour taste. Add a little salt if necessary. Chill well and serve with a large dollop of sour cream and a hot boiled potato with a bit of chopped dill
Note: sugar can be replaced with agave syrup or stevia and there is  very good fat free sour cream which I use.

Simple Baked Apple

While in Italy in February I came across this Italian version of a baked apple. It was on the buffet at the Hotel Lungarno in Florence

The hotel served both apples and pears prepared in this manner. 

4 Apples

4 Tablespoons of sugar

Water

Place apples in a baking pan. Pierce each apple 3 or 4 times with a paring knife. Pour boiling water up 1/3 up the sides of the apples. Sprinkle each apple with one tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 3 or 4 hours at 250 degrees  until soft. 

That is the basic recipe to which I added the following:

Reduce the liquid and float a few cardamon seeds in the liquid. Place the apples in a storage container and pour the liquid over the fruit. Cover and cool in the refrigerator.

This is recipe works for apples or pears. Perhaps it would also work for peaches, and any other reasonably hard fruit. You can vary the amounts of water or sugar, as well as the types of sugar and the spices used to flavor the water/syrup.

This keeps well in the refrigerator and is a nice way to begin the day. You can also add flavored yogurt or flavored vanilla custard sauce for an interesting dessert.  

Note: I have used fat free sugar free jello pudding with more skim milk than is called for to make pudding and flavored it to cover over the artificial flavors. It works pretty well for a faux custard sauce.

Simple Baked Apple

While in Italy in February I came across this Italian version of a baked apple. It was on the buffet at the Hotel Lungarno in Florence

The hotel served both apples and pears prepared in this manner. 

4 Apples

4 Tablespoons of sugar

Water

Place apples in a baking pan. Pierce each apple 3 or 4 times with a paring knife. Pour boiling water up 1/3 up the sides of the apples. Sprinkle each apple with one tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 3 or 4 hours at 250 degrees  until soft. 

That is the basic recipe to which I added the following:

Reduce the liquid and float a few cardamon seeds in the liquid. Place the apples in a storage container and pour the liquid over the fruit. Cover and cool in the refrigerator.

This is recipe works for apples or pears. Perhaps it would also work for peaches, and any other reasonably hard fruit. You can vary the amounts of water or sugar, as well as the types of sugar and the spices used to flavor the water/syrup.

This keeps well in the refrigerator and is a nice way to begin the day. You can also add flavored yogurt or flavored vanilla custard sauce for an interesting dessert.  

Note: I have used fat free sugar free jello pudding with more skim milk than is called for to make pudding and flavored it to cover over the artificial flavors. It works pretty well for a faux custard sauce.

Spicy Lentils with peppers and Tomatoes

This recipe by Martha Rose Shulman from her book Mediterranean Light is a favorite of mine. I used french lentils and watched the cooking time so they would not overcook

Makes 6 to 8 servings

1/4 pound (2 cups) brown or green lentils, washed and picked over
6 cups water
1 bay leaf
salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves, minced or put through a press
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped...I used a red one
2 hot chili peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ripe fresh or canned tomatoes (without juice), peeled and sliced
freshly ground pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro (to taste)
juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)

Combine the lentils, water and bayleaf in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Add salt to taste. Drain and retain some of the cooking liquid.

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet or casserole and add the onion and garlic. Saute' over medium-low heat until the onion is tender and beginning to color. Add the green pepper and chili peppers and saute' another 5 to 10 minutes, until the pepper is tender, and add the tomatoes and drained lentils.

Add a little bit of the cooking liquid from the lentils if the mixture seems dry. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, stir in the cilantro and lemon juice if desired, and serve, or allow to cool and serve chilled.

This dish will keep for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.

I am now using a vacuum packaging machine which allows me to keep things longer. I also freeze some of them in the bag and re-heat by boiling the bag..make sure to label and date the bags if you do this!

Per Portion

Calories 189
Fat      2G
Sodium 12 MG
Protein   13G
Carbohydrate  31G
Cholesterol     0G

Spicy Lentils with peppers and Tomatoes

This recipe by Martha Rose Shulman from her book Mediterranean Light is a favorite of mine. I used french lentils and watched the cooking time so they would not overcook

Makes 6 to 8 servings

1/4 pound (2 cups) brown or green lentils, washed and picked over
6 cups water
1 bay leaf
salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves, minced or put through a press
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped...I used a red one
2 hot chili peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ripe fresh or canned tomatoes (without juice), peeled and sliced
freshly ground pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro (to taste)
juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)

Combine the lentils, water and bayleaf in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Add salt to taste. Drain and retain some of the cooking liquid.

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet or casserole and add the onion and garlic. Saute' over medium-low heat until the onion is tender and beginning to color. Add the green pepper and chili peppers and saute' another 5 to 10 minutes, until the pepper is tender, and add the tomatoes and drained lentils.

Add a little bit of the cooking liquid from the lentils if the mixture seems dry. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, stir in the cilantro and lemon juice if desired, and serve, or allow to cool and serve chilled.

This dish will keep for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.

I am now using a vacuum packaging machine which allows me to keep things longer. I also freeze some of them in the bag and re-heat by boiling the bag..make sure to label and date the bags if you do this!

Per Portion

Calories 189
Fat      2G
Sodium 12 MG
Protein   13G
Carbohydrate  31G
Cholesterol     0G

Easy Low Fat Meringue Cookies

These cookies use a store-bought product and I simply dipped them  in glazes to improve them.


I found Vanilla Meringue cookies called Spaans at Whole foods. These are tiny meringues that taste mostly like sugar. the nutritional content says that 15 cookies equal 100 calories and have no fat.

Using two seperate recipes I was able to make them easily into a company worthy dessert.

Glaze #1 is from Jacques Pepin and is the chocolate sauce he suggests for his angel food cake..already on the blog it is one part unsweetened cocoa, one part water, one part cane sugar. Mix the cocoa and sugar till fine and has no lumps. Mix in water thoroughly..heat til boil constantly mixing to prevent burning. Let the glaze dry for an hour or so or it will remain soft.

The other recipe comes from the Tassajara Recipe Cookbook by Edward Espe Brown. It is a lemon glaze with walnuts. Sift confectioners sugar. Measure one cup. Add to it 3-4 Tablespoons lemon juice..Theoretically you could substitute orange or grapefruit juice. Then mix until it is consistency of cream. I altered the 1/2 cup of walnuts which appears in the original recipe to keep the recipe lowest fat..I take one full walnut and mince it.


Dip the cookies one at a time..for the chocolate sauce just dip and place on a plate. When you have as many chocolate ones as you want start dipping in the lemon dip and press each cookie into the minced walnuts..you should get to use one walnut to 16-20 cookies and then you will need another walnut to mince.

When dipping shake off excess glaze before you set cookies to dry in one layer on a plate.

To serve let dry then place on a clean plate..if any stick to the original plate use a metal spatula to loosen.

The cookies with the chocolate have roughly the same amount of fat added as the ones with walnuts so a serving of 16 cookies contains about 3 grams of fat. These can be served with fruit or sorbet or alone.

Easy Low Fat Meringue Cookies

These cookies use a store-bought product and I simply dipped them  in glazes to improve them.


I found Vanilla Meringue cookies called Spaans at Whole foods. These are tiny meringues that taste mostly like sugar. the nutritional content says that 15 cookies equal 100 calories and have no fat.

Using two seperate recipes I was able to make them easily into a company worthy dessert.

Glaze #1 is from Jacques Pepin and is the chocolate sauce he suggests for his angel food cake..already on the blog it is one part unsweetened cocoa, one part water, one part cane sugar. Mix the cocoa and sugar till fine and has no lumps. Mix in water thoroughly..heat til boil constantly mixing to prevent burning. Let the glaze dry for an hour or so or it will remain soft.

The other recipe comes from the Tassajara Recipe Cookbook by Edward Espe Brown. It is a lemon glaze with walnuts. Sift confectioners sugar. Measure one cup. Add to it 3-4 Tablespoons lemon juice..Theoretically you could substitute orange or grapefruit juice. Then mix until it is consistency of cream. I altered the 1/2 cup of walnuts which appears in the original recipe to keep the recipe lowest fat..I take one full walnut and mince it.


Dip the cookies one at a time..for the chocolate sauce just dip and place on a plate. When you have as many chocolate ones as you want start dipping in the lemon dip and press each cookie into the minced walnuts..you should get to use one walnut to 16-20 cookies and then you will need another walnut to mince.

When dipping shake off excess glaze before you set cookies to dry in one layer on a plate.

To serve let dry then place on a clean plate..if any stick to the original plate use a metal spatula to loosen.

The cookies with the chocolate have roughly the same amount of fat added as the ones with walnuts so a serving of 16 cookies contains about 3 grams of fat. These can be served with fruit or sorbet or alone.

Kale and White Bean Soup

This is a very comforting winter soup that can be cooked ahead and kept in individual portions for later use.

1 1/2 cups navy beans, cleaned and sorted and soaked overnight
3 quarts of water
1 bay leaf
3-4 sage leaves fresh or dried
2 large cloves garlic peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
6-8 cups kale, stemmed and chopped to spoon size

Simmer the beans in 3 quarts of water with the bay leaf, sage and garlic cloves until the beans are completely soft, about 2 -2 1/2 hours.

Remove one quarter of the cooked beans, puree them in a food mill blender or food processor and then return them to the pot. The puree will give the soup a creamy background texture.

Heat a  the oil in a skillet and add the onions cooking medium heat,  til transparant. If it seems there is not enough oil you may drizzle a bit of water in now and again until it is done. When soft add the nutritional yeast, a teaspoon of salt, and several grindings of pepper. Stir frequently to prevent the yeast from sticking to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes then add the mixture to the cooked beans.

Cook the kale by sweating in a bit of water..not much..just to keep from sticking..combine it with the beans and add enough water to bring the volume to about 3 quarts. Bring to a boil and simmer for around an hour. Check seasonings and serve

This soup recipe is by Edward Espe Brown from his book The Tassajara Recipe Book. I have left out cream which he adds at the end. I have also lowered the amount of fat by substituting 1 tablespoon of oil for 2 tablespoons of butter.  

Kale and White Bean Soup

This is a very comforting winter soup that can be cooked ahead and kept in individual portions for later use.

1 1/2 cups navy beans, cleaned and sorted and soaked overnight
3 quarts of water
1 bay leaf
3-4 sage leaves fresh or dried
2 large cloves garlic peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
6-8 cups kale, stemmed and chopped to spoon size

Simmer the beans in 3 quarts of water with the bay leaf, sage and garlic cloves until the beans are completely soft, about 2 -2 1/2 hours.

Remove one quarter of the cooked beans, puree them in a food mill blender or food processor and then return them to the pot. The puree will give the soup a creamy background texture.

Heat a  the oil in a skillet and add the onions cooking medium heat,  til transparant. If it seems there is not enough oil you may drizzle a bit of water in now and again until it is done. When soft add the nutritional yeast, a teaspoon of salt, and several grindings of pepper. Stir frequently to prevent the yeast from sticking to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes then add the mixture to the cooked beans.

Cook the kale by sweating in a bit of water..not much..just to keep from sticking..combine it with the beans and add enough water to bring the volume to about 3 quarts. Bring to a boil and simmer for around an hour. Check seasonings and serve

This soup recipe is by Edward Espe Brown from his book The Tassajara Recipe Book. I have left out cream which he adds at the end. I have also lowered the amount of fat by substituting 1 tablespoon of oil for 2 tablespoons of butter.  

Marinated Tofu Open-Faced Sandwich

Many of us think tofu isn't very appetizing. This recipe by Deborah Madison from her book The Green's Cookbook, has changed my mind. It's wonderfully tasty with a bit of a crust and easy to make. Best of all, the marinade can be boiled, strained and reused. Once you have the marinated tofu you can use it for a quick meal and it seems to last quite a while without spoiling.







 I have adjusted the recipe to be consistent with my low fat diet. Ms. Madison also offers that this recipe can be used in her recipe for vegetable brochettes also found in the Greens Cookbook. I have yet to try that recipe.

1 or two packages firm tofu, 14 to 18 ounces each
1/2 ounce dried wild mushrooms, porcini or shitake
1 cup water
2 teaspoons dried oregano or marjoram
2 cloves garlic sliced
1/2 cup of olive oil or I use 1/4 cup
1/2 cup of sherry or wine vinegar
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce...I use the low sodium to keep salt content down
4 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt..could omit if you are watching salt intake
several twists black pepper

cut the tofu into slabs 1 inch thick. and set to drain..this is done by setting them on a bread board or back of a baking sheet and raising one end; point the lower end toward the sink to let the water drain off. Cover the tofu with another tray and weight it down with something heavy like a few cans of tomatoes. Let the tofu drain for about a half hour. This will remove the excess water and allow the marinade to penetrate without being diluted.

While the tofu is draining, prepare the marinade. Simmer the mushrooms in the water for 15 minutes. Heat a small heavy skillet and toast the oregano or marjoram slowly til it is fragrant. Add the oregano and remaining ingredients to the pot with the mushrooms, bring to a boil and simmer slowly a few minutes more.
Remove the tofu from the draining board and arrange it in a single layer in a square  or rectangular non-corrosive pan. strain the marinade through a coffee filter, paper towel or fine cheesecloth and then pour over the toful. Cover with plastic or a lid and refrigerate at least a day but preferably longer. The tofu can marinate 4 or 5 days. Then it can be seperated from the marinade and stored for use later. The marinade can be boiled, strained and reused, if the tofu was well drained. I freeze the marinade for the next time.

When you are ready to make the sandwich you can grill the tofu in a cast iron skillet that has been wiped with olive oil with a paper towel. Brown on all sides. Then slice the thickness in two and place on a very good slice of toasted whole wheat bread..I love the organic stone ground whole wheat bread from le pain  quotidian..a bakery with many outlets in New York and other locations. Ms. Madison suggests you put mayonaise and horseradish on the bread..then the tofu, followed with a slice of fresh tomato. I substitute Smart Beat Nonfat mayonnaise dressing..which is a very good mayo substitute that tastes just like mayo and I add to it. For horse radish I use Gold's Prepared Grated Horseradish, which is available in the refrigerator case of many supermarkets. Then I top with a slice of tomato or canned tomato in winter.
I served it with a frisee and fennel and apple salad with fat free apple cider dressing.
Its a delicious meal!
Note:
Here is the nutritional content in tofu so that you can determine the amount you wish to serve as a portion

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4467/2

Marinated Tofu Open-Faced Sandwich

Many of us think tofu isn't very appetizing. This recipe by Deborah Madison from her book The Green's Cookbook, has changed my mind. It's wonderfully tasty with a bit of a crust and easy to make. Best of all, the marinade can be boiled, strained and reused. Once you have the marinated tofu you can use it for a quick meal and it seems to last quite a while without spoiling.







 I have adjusted the recipe to be consistent with my low fat diet. Ms. Madison also offers that this recipe can be used in her recipe for vegetable brochettes also found in the Greens Cookbook. I have yet to try that recipe.

1 or two packages firm tofu, 14 to 18 ounces each
1/2 ounce dried wild mushrooms, porcini or shitake
1 cup water
2 teaspoons dried oregano or marjoram
2 cloves garlic sliced
1/2 cup of olive oil or I use 1/4 cup
1/2 cup of sherry or wine vinegar
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce...I use the low sodium to keep salt content down
4 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt..could omit if you are watching salt intake
several twists black pepper

cut the tofu into slabs 1 inch thick. and set to drain..this is done by setting them on a bread board or back of a baking sheet and raising one end; point the lower end toward the sink to let the water drain off. Cover the tofu with another tray and weight it down with something heavy like a few cans of tomatoes. Let the tofu drain for about a half hour. This will remove the excess water and allow the marinade to penetrate without being diluted.

While the tofu is draining, prepare the marinade. Simmer the mushrooms in the water for 15 minutes. Heat a small heavy skillet and toast the oregano or marjoram slowly til it is fragrant. Add the oregano and remaining ingredients to the pot with the mushrooms, bring to a boil and simmer slowly a few minutes more.
Remove the tofu from the draining board and arrange it in a single layer in a square  or rectangular non-corrosive pan. strain the marinade through a coffee filter, paper towel or fine cheesecloth and then pour over the toful. Cover with plastic or a lid and refrigerate at least a day but preferably longer. The tofu can marinate 4 or 5 days. Then it can be seperated from the marinade and stored for use later. The marinade can be boiled, strained and reused, if the tofu was well drained. I freeze the marinade for the next time.

When you are ready to make the sandwich you can grill the tofu in a cast iron skillet that has been wiped with olive oil with a paper towel. Brown on all sides. Then slice the thickness in two and place on a very good slice of toasted whole wheat bread..I love the organic stone ground whole wheat bread from le pain  quotidian..a bakery with many outlets in New York and other locations. Ms. Madison suggests you put mayonaise and horseradish on the bread..then the tofu, followed with a slice of fresh tomato. I substitute Smart Beat Nonfat mayonnaise dressing..which is a very good mayo substitute that tastes just like mayo and I add to it. For horse radish I use Gold's Prepared Grated Horseradish, which is available in the refrigerator case of many supermarkets. Then I top with a slice of tomato or canned tomato in winter.
I served it with a frisee and fennel and apple salad with fat free apple cider dressing.
Its a delicious meal!
Note:
Here is the nutritional content in tofu so that you can determine the amount you wish to serve as a portion

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4467/2

Soups using Whole Grains

Martha Rose Shulman is a cookbook author who has been writing about lighter cuisine since the late 1970's. Her first book called the Vegetarian Feast is a wonderful compendium of vegetarian fare. Mediterranean Light is another. At the end of each recipe she  includes the nutritional content of the food allowing you to judge whether this is a recipe that fits with your nutritional goals. Articles by her are often found  in the New York Times. I found this article, on using whole grains in soup recipes, in the Times blog.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/14/soups-with-heft/

Soups using Whole Grains

Martha Rose Shulman is a cookbook author who has been writing about lighter cuisine since the late 1970's. Her first book called the Vegetarian Feast is a wonderful compendium of vegetarian fare. Mediterranean Light is another. At the end of each recipe she  includes the nutritional content of the food allowing you to judge whether this is a recipe that fits with your nutritional goals. Articles by her are often found  in the New York Times. I found this article, on using whole grains in soup recipes, in the Times blog.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/14/soups-with-heft/

Yogurt Cake

In 1994 I bought a book by Jacques Pepin titled Simple and Healthy Cooking. In its introduction Pepin speaks of reducing the proportions of fats and sugars while always maintaining his focus on taste. This is a book to which I return over and over for its high quality healthy renditions of favorite foods. I strongly recommend you buy this book and try your hand at his wonderful easy recipes. All of his recipes in this and other books have the nutritional content which allows you to keep track of what you are eating. Pepin continued to produce books with the same themes and they are well worth reading.

I have been yearning for cake and so today made his yogurt cake.

1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Corn or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup fat free yogurt
1 cup sifted cake flour ( I used whole wheat pastry flour instead)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 egg whites
5 cups fresh blueberries, washed drained and patted dry

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Lightly coat an 8" round cake pan with vegetable cooking pray and set the pan aside. ( I used a bit of oil on a paper towel instead)Place the sugar, oil and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Combine with a wisk until well blended. Add the milk and yogurt, mix well. Then add the flour and baking soda and mix gently until they are incorporated. Place the eggwhites in a copper or stainless steel mixing bowl. Beat by hand with a large balloon whisk or with an electric mixer (fitted with a whisk attachment) at medium to high speed until the whites form stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. Fold them into the batter. ( don't be too perfect with the folding..the idea is to not completely deflate the whites which will lift your cake..some streaks of white will be ok) pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Cool the cake in the pan on a cake rack until it is lukewarm, then inbert it onto the rack and cool it completely.
To serve, cut the cake into 10 pieces. Tope each piece with 1/2 cup berries. I used frozen berries from Maine and sprinkled a bit of confectioners sugar through a sieve over the top of the cake.

This cake freezes well so I cut it in half and wrapped it first carefully in waxed paper then tucked it into a ziplock bag. To defrost place in the refrigerator

Here is a slightly different version..Lemon flavored

http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/138450/Lemon-Yogurt-Cake-with-Fresh-Berries

each piece is 162 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 0.6 grams saturated fat, 0 cholesterol, 64 mg sodium

Yogurt Cake

In 1994 I bought a book by Jacques Pepin titled Simple and Healthy Cooking. In its introduction Pepin speaks of reducing the proportions of fats and sugars while always maintaining his focus on taste. This is a book to which I return over and over for its high quality healthy renditions of favorite foods. I strongly recommend you buy this book and try your hand at his wonderful easy recipes. All of his recipes in this and other books have the nutritional content which allows you to keep track of what you are eating. Pepin continued to produce books with the same themes and they are well worth reading.

I have been yearning for cake and so today made his yogurt cake.

1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Corn or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup fat free yogurt
1 cup sifted cake flour ( I used whole wheat pastry flour instead)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 egg whites
5 cups fresh blueberries, washed drained and patted dry

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Lightly coat an 8" round cake pan with vegetable cooking pray and set the pan aside. ( I used a bit of oil on a paper towel instead)Place the sugar, oil and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Combine with a wisk until well blended. Add the milk and yogurt, mix well. Then add the flour and baking soda and mix gently until they are incorporated. Place the eggwhites in a copper or stainless steel mixing bowl. Beat by hand with a large balloon whisk or with an electric mixer (fitted with a whisk attachment) at medium to high speed until the whites form stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. Fold them into the batter. ( don't be too perfect with the folding..the idea is to not completely deflate the whites which will lift your cake..some streaks of white will be ok) pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Cool the cake in the pan on a cake rack until it is lukewarm, then inbert it onto the rack and cool it completely.
To serve, cut the cake into 10 pieces. Tope each piece with 1/2 cup berries. I used frozen berries from Maine and sprinkled a bit of confectioners sugar through a sieve over the top of the cake.

This cake freezes well so I cut it in half and wrapped it first carefully in waxed paper then tucked it into a ziplock bag. To defrost place in the refrigerator

Here is a slightly different version..Lemon flavored

http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/138450/Lemon-Yogurt-Cake-with-Fresh-Berries

each piece is 162 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 0.6 grams saturated fat, 0 cholesterol, 64 mg sodium

Apple Walnut Jumble

Here is a fast and tasty snack/dessert.

Core a good organic apple..apples should be crisp and have a bright taste. Slice and cut up into bite sized pieces. Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon break into it 3 walnut halves..that is 6 grams of fat!! good fat though loaded with Omega 3's
finally add 3 tablespoons of multigrain cheerios. Sometimes I mix in a teaspoon of ground flax seed to add more omega's and make it even better for lowering cholesterol.

Mix all together and enjoy!

Apple Walnut Jumble

Here is a fast and tasty snack/dessert.

Core a good organic apple..apples should be crisp and have a bright taste. Slice and cut up into bite sized pieces. Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon break into it 3 walnut halves..that is 6 grams of fat!! good fat though loaded with Omega 3's
finally add 3 tablespoons of multigrain cheerios. Sometimes I mix in a teaspoon of ground flax seed to add more omega's and make it even better for lowering cholesterol.

Mix all together and enjoy!