Raspberry Jam Bars

 

• ½ cup pecans
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife (this could also be part almond flour)
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup raspberry jam

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with heavy-duty aluminum foil so that it overlaps the sides and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, place the pecans, flour, coconut, oats, salt, and baking powder. Blend until the mixture has a fine, sand-like texture. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until light and creamy, a few minutes. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. The dough will be sticky. Place ⅔ of the dough on the bottom of the prepared baking dish, and spread it in an even layer. Spread the jam over the surface of the dough, leaving ¼-inch space between the jam and the sides of the baking dish so the bars won’t stick to the foil. Pinch off 1-inch clumps of the remaining dough and scatter evenly over top of the jam. The dough won’t cover the entire surface; that’s okay. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.
4. Let the jam bars cool in the baking dish on a rack for about 15 minutes. Using the foil overhang, lift the bars out of the pan and onto the countertop. Pull the foil away from the sides to prevent sticking, and then let sit until completely cool, a few hours. Cut into bars.

Portobello Mushroom dinner

• Portobello mushrooms (as many as you think you can eat, usually 1-1 ½ per person, keep in mind that they get smaller as they are cooking)
• 2-3 green onions
• 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese or fresh sliced mozzarella
• 1 T of butter or vegetable oil

Wash and slice the mushrooms and chop the green onions. Heat a frying pan and spray with vegetable oil and add onions and mushrooms, stir frequently to cook evenly and to keep from sticking to the pan. Cook until mushrooms are tender and soft. To hasten cooking, cover the pan with a lid. When the mushrooms are cooked turn off the heat and add cheese. The cheese should cover all of the mushroom and onion mixture. Allow cheese to melt and serve hot. A yummy change of the recipe is to use fresh mozzarella sliced and lay it on top of the mushroom and onion mixture and serve when melted. Good on top of brown rice.

Morel Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto

•  5 cups water
• 1 cup dried morel mushrooms
• 2 large handfuls of garlic chives
• 4 T butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 lb asparagus, chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, simmer the morel mushrooms and garlic chives in the 5 cups of water for 10-15 minutes. Strain the mushroom broth into a bowl, and reserve the mushrooms. Chop the mushrooms, and discard the garlic chives. 

In the saucepan, brown the butter, garlic, and rice. When lightly browned, deglaze with the lemon juice and white wine, and begin adding a cup of the broth at a time. After each cup, stir and wait for the rice to absorb the liquid before adding the next cup. When about halfway through adding the liquid, add the asparagus. When the rice is fully cooked and all the broth has been added, remove from heat and fold in the cheese and morel mushrooms. Salt and pepper as desired.

Makes approximately 4 servings.

Grapefruit Meringue Pie/Tarts

Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker or animal cracker (can do GF) crumbs (11 crackers?)
2 T sugar
1/2 t ground ginger
1/4 t salt
5 T unsalted butter

Filling
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 T grated grapefruit zest
1 1/4 cups fresh grapefruit juice (2 grapefruit)
1/2 cup water
4 egg yolks
4 T unsalted butter

Meringue
4 egg whites
1/4 t cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar

Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter for the crust. Combine crumbs, sugar, ginger, salt, and butter, and press into pie pan or muffin pan liners. Bake until set and light brown, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

Filling: Whisk cornstarch and water together until the cornstarch dissolves before heating. Combine the cornstarch solution, the sugar, and grapefruit juice together in a saucepan, whisking in the egg yolks one at a time over medium heat. Mix in the 4 T of butter and the zest as the filling begins to thicken, stirring constantly. Pour the filling into the crust(s), and chill for at least 1 hour for tarts and 3 hours for a pie.

Meringue: Beat egg whites and cream of tartar on high until frothy, about 30 seconds. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue on high until the sugar is dissolved (slide some between your thumb & finger- if you feel granules, it is not yet dissolved) and stiff peaks form, 4+ minutes.

Spoon the meringue over the pie, swirling and maximizing the peaks. Using a broiler or kitchen torch, brown the meringues. If broiling, move the oven rack so the pie is 6 inches from the element. Watch carefully as it only takes 2-3 minutes. Allow to cool slowly.

Persimmon Muffins

3 cups fresh persimmon puree
2/3 cup melted unsalted butter or 1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
3 cups whole wheat flour (or GF flour for gluten free)
2 t baking soda
1/2 t nutmeg
2 t cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 cup walnuts
1 cup raisins or craisins

Make the puree by washing the persimmons, then remove the bad spots and slice the tops off using a sharp knife. Cut them in half horizontally, separating the top from the bottom, to find the seeds. After removing the seeds, use the chopping blade in a food processor to puree.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the puree and the butter or oil.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Stir these dry ingredients into the persimmon mixture. Do not over-mix! Stir in walnuts, raisins, or craisins if desired. The batter will be fairly stiff.

Coat each muffin cup with spray and spoon the batter in, filling the cups completely. Bake until they are golden brown, and the tops of the muffins bounce back when you press on them, 25-30 minutes. Rotate positions in oven if baking multiple trays at the same time. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Cool the tray on a wire rack for 5 minutes before removing the muffins, and then cool another 20 minutes.

Makes 15 muffins.

Turkish Delight

1/2 lb (8 oz) unsweetened chocolate
2 cups honey
2 scant cups nut meats
3 lb sifted powdered sugar
vanilla extract to taste
2 orange rinds grated

Melt chocolate in double boiler. Slowly stir in honey. Add sugar and nuts and knead until stiff. Make small pockets in dough and add vanilla and orange rind. Knead well to mix. Press into half gallon waxed cardboard milk carton. Let stand for at least one week.

Note: If using a regular kitchen aid, divide in half to make.

Gluten & Dairy Free Pecan Pie Bars

 Shortbread Crust

2 cups vegan baking butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
2 t vanilla
1 t salt
4 cups GF flour with xanthan gum

Spray a metal half-sheet pan with GF spray, and line with a sheet of parchment paper.

Mix the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the flour and mix until dough forms. Press firmly into the pan, following the pan up at the edges to help contain the pie filling. Lay a piece of parchment paper on top and roll it out with a rolling pin after it has been evenly distributed. Bake for 15 minutes.

 

Pecan Pie Filling

6 eggs
2 cups corn syrup
2 cups sugar
4 T melted vegan butter
2 t vanilla
3 cups pecan halves, chopped

Beat the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter, and vanilla. Chop the pecan halves into small pieces and evenly distribute over the shortbread. Pour the filling on top. Bake for 45 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache Topping

12 oz DF chocolate chips
½ cup almond milk

Melt chocolate and milk in a saucepan, mix well, and spread over the pecan pie filling. Allow to cool completely before cutting.