Category Archives: Vegetarian

Rich Brownies (dietitian not recommended)

Sometimes you have to spurge and go all out. I have been looking for a good fudgy brownie that’s not out of the box and without all the extras. I think I found a winner.

Ingredients:

3 oz 70% dark chocolate
3 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 stick of butter
1 tsp instant coffee granules
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup AP flour
1 cup of sugar
2 tsp vanilla pure extract
3 eggs (farmer fresh or egg-lands best)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Foil line an 8 by 8 pan, make sure to leave extra over sides to serve as a handles. Spray pan with cooking spray.

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, instant coffee , and salt in a medium bowl. Set a side.

2. Place butter, & chocolates in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 15 second intervals using spatula to scrape down sides in bowl each time. Make sure not to burn the chocolate.

If you rather you could use a double boiler or glass bowl over simmering water bath (I’ll leave that up to you). I prefer microwave less pans to clean.

Once the chocolate mix is melted smoothly add in vanilla & sugar.

Add one egg at a time.

Whisk after each egg addition.

Add flour blend to chocolate batter.

Mix with whisk until fully incorporated.

Pour batter into pan and spread evenly with spatula.

Bake in center of the oven for 35 minutes. You want a soft crumb on your toothpick when testing the brownie to see if finished.

Let sit in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from baking dish and let cool on wire rack.

Baked Whole Wheat Cinnamon & Sugar Donuts

I asked my husband last night, “what would you like for breakfast tomorrow” and he responded “Cinnamon and Sugar Donuts” no added frills. I dare not deviate from the request, even though I wanted to add pumpkin …just saying

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup AP Flour
2 eggs
1 TB canola oil
1/2 cup sugar &,1/4 for for cinnamon sugar
1 tsp cinnamon and 1 1/2 for cinnamon sugar blend
1/2 TB baking powder
1/4 cup & 1/8 cup skim milk
Pinch of nutmeg

Directions:,

Preheat oven to 350!

Spray with cooking spray your donut mold.

In a medium bowl mix canola oil and sugar.

Add one egg at a time.

In a separate bowl blend flours, baking powder, salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, & nutmeg.

A whisk works well for this.

Alternate flour and milk into sugar batter.

Taking turns batter will look like this make sure to mix on low after each addition.

Refrigerate batter for 1-2 hours.

Place batter in frosting piping bag with large tip and fill the donut molds accordingly.

While donuts are baking mix remaining sugar and cinnamon in either paper bag or ziplock bag and set aside.

Bake donuts on 350 for 7 to 8 minutes. Test using toothpick method.

Let cool in pan for about one minute.

While still hot toss into sugar & cinnamon blend.

Pumpkin Butter

I just love fall! One of my favorite things about it is pumpkin dishes and baked goods. This recipe uses fresh pumpkin that was first roasted in the oven for 90 minutes on 350 degrees face down. For full details check out roasted pumpkin puree.

Ingredients :
10 cups of roasted pumpkin purée
1 cup brown sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
1 TB of pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup Apple cider

Directions:

1. Place the pumpkin purée in a slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients in your crock pot.

2.Place the slow cooker on low. Stir pumpkin mixture every hour and cook for 3 to 4 hours.

3. Remove cinnamon sticks and purée with emulsion blender or place in a food processor and pulse until well blended and no signs of stringy pumpkin remain.

4. Enjoy on crackers or my sister’s favorite with cottage cheese .

Yields 8 cups of apple butter! Enjoy

Vegan Apple Crumble Tart

For the love of apples and the fall. This is a quick and easy tart you can put together in a pinch. I am trying to use my large bountiful supply of my grandfathers homegrown apples. I have already made several baked goods, applesauce, apple butter, and not to mention eating one raw everyday. I needed a quick recipe for a work meeting. I always try and bake a goodie for our quarterly meetings. I have a strong belief “if you bake something delicious they will come”. So far it seems to work!

Ingredients:

1/2 Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 Cup AP Flour

1 Cup of Quick Oats

1/4 Tsp of baking soda

1/2 Cup of Canola Oil

2/3 cup of brown sugar (not packed)

Apple Filling:

2 Cups of shredded Apples (at least two large apples shredded (not peeled that is where all the “good stuff” is))

2 TB of sugar

2 tsp of cinnamon (Vietnamese is my favorite )

1 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp mace

1 TB of apple cider

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place parchment paper inside of tart pan (or a 9 by 9 pan) and spray with cooking spray to coat the pan.

2. Place filling ingredients in microwave safe bowl and microwave in one minute intervals string after each minute (your house will smell amazing). Set aside.

3. Place all the dry ingredients for topping in a medium bowl mix with whisk until combine.

4. Take a heaping cup of the crumb mixture and press it into the bottom of the tart pan.

5. Once the bottom is pressed evenly add the apple topping on to the crust and spread evenly with spatula .

6. Once the filling is spread evenly sprinkle the remainder of the crumb topping on dish.

7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until crumble topping is golden brown. Let completely cool on wire rack before cutting into.

Enjoy!

Apple Streusel Whole Wheat Muffins

My husband and I went to Amish Country in Ohio this past weekend and there was an abundance of apples!

Which inspired me to make a coffee cake type of apple muffin this morning.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 TB flaxseed milled
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp Vietnamese ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 farmers egg
3 TB canola oil
1/2 cup skim milk
1 cup of Apple, peeled, & shredded (about 1.5 medium apples)

Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 TB whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 chopped pecans
2 TB of soften butter (unsalted)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line 12 muffin tins with either silicon or paper liners and spray with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

2. In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, and flaxseed.

Mix to incorporate all ingredients well.

3. In a separate medium bowl combine oil, egg, and milk.

Whisk to incorporate.

4. Add dry mixture to wet.

Mix until just moistened (be careful not to over mix).

5. Shred 1 to 2 apples to yield one cup of shredded apple.

6. Fold apples gently into batter.

7. Spoon half the batter evenly into 12 muffin tins.

Set aside

8. In a small bowl place streusel topping ingredients.

Use your hands to incorporate crumble topping mixture.

9. Set aside 3-4 TB of topping.

10. Place one TB of remaining topping in each muffin tin on top of the wet batter.

11. Spoon evenly the remaining batter on the top of the streusel topping in tins.

12. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of center clean.

13. Let cool in tin for 3 to 5 minutes on wire rack.

14. Remove from tin and allow to cool on wire rack.

15. Enjoy

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

At our house we love pumpkin! We put it in everything during the fall. I made these pancakes for dinner. You can finish them off with pecans, maple syrup, cinnamon, or greek vanilla yogurt !

Yields 6 hearty pancakes

Ingredients:

1 farm fresh egg
1 TB canola oil
1 tsp Mexican vanilla extract
2/3 cup puréed pumpkin
3/4 cup low fat buttermilk
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 and 1/8 cup of AP Flour
1 TB of milled flaxseed
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions :

1. Add pumpkin, milk, eggs, oil, vanilla, and brown sugar into medium bowl and whisk to combine.

3. Mix but don’t over mix

4. Mix all dry ingredients together in a small bowl.

5. Slowly add dry ingredients into wet batter

6. Heat griddle on medium to medium high heat. Measure scant 1/2 cup size pancakes onto pan.

7. Watch for the pancakes to brown up on the side and flip

8. Enjoy 😉

Upside-Down Pear Cake

My grandpa gave us lots of pears last time we were back home for a visit. I have been trying my best to eat them all before they go bad. But it has been difficult with all the good produce in season.

We are having a fall dinner tomorrow and I think this will be the perfect finish to our menu. I have always wanted to make an upside- down cake with pears and since I have plenty on hand I thought there is no better time then now.

Ingredients:
1 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup no sugar added applesauce
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 pears (peeled. sliced, and cored)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup egg whites or egg substitute
1/3 cup Maple syrup
1 Tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven 350.

2. Line a 9″ round cake pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

2. Place flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger in a bowl and mix.

3. In a separate bowl mix sugar, applesauce, vanilla, and egg whites.

4. Add flour mix and buttermilk alternating the two and mixing after each addition.

5. In small sauce pan over medium heat warm maple syrup until thick about 2 to 4 minutes.

6. Spread the pears evenly on the parchment paper.

7. Once the maple syrup has thickened pour over the sliced pears.

8. Now pour batter over pears.

9. Bake on 350 for 23-25 minutes.

10. Let cool on wire rack for 5 minutes and remove from pan

Whole Wheat Avocado Brownies

My sister has been trying to get me to make some avocado baked goods for a while. We are celebrating her birthday this weekend! I cannot think of a better time to try brownies with avocado instead butter.

Ingredients:
One large avocado mashed
1 cup of sugar
2 farm fresh eggs
1/2 tsp almond extract or vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 baking powder
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa (use high quality cocoa; it’s worth it)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Place avocado, sugar, and almond extract in food processor.

2. Pulse until cream like.

3. Add one egg at a time.

4. In a separate bowl sift flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda.

5. Mix with spoon until dry ingredients blended well.

6. Add dry mix into creamy avocado mixture.

7. Pulse until combined.

8. Pour batter into a cooking sprayed 9 inch baking dish.

Spread evenly

9. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes on 350 degrees or until toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy !

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits

I had to make biscuits to go with yesterday’s homemade apple butter! This recipe was adapted from a Taste of Home recipe

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Rolled-Buttermilk-Biscuits. I of course made of few changes to incorporate some whole

grain goodness.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup AP Flour
3 Tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 TB cold butter (unsalted)
1 cup buttermilk
1 TB skim milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450.

Place both flours, salt, soda, baking power in bowl.

2. Cut butter into dry mixture.

3. Until resembles course texture.

4. Pour buttermilk into dry mixture.

5. Mix with wooden spoon just until ingredients are combine.

6. Sprinkle flour onto a clean surface and knead dough 2 to 3 times.

7. Roll dough with floured roller.

Cut 12 cutouts with 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter.

8. Roll second time and cut 12 more biscuits.

9. Layer biscuits on top of each other in rows of two on parchment paper.

10. Brush with the skim milk.

11. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes on 450 degrees.

Yields 12 biscuits!

Plus it goes well with Apple Butter

Apple Butter

There is nothing better than the smell of apples and cinnamon cooking in the slow cooker all day! My grandpa gave me a basket of some of his homegrown apples this past weekend. I have always wanted to make my apple butter instead of buying it for 5-6.00$ a jar. Well today is the day. The longest part of the process is peeling the apples! But well worth the time.

Ingredients:
16 Cups of peeled, corded, chopped apples
6 three inch cinnamon sticks
1/4 tsp clove
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 cups of packed brown sugar