Sunday, November 28, 2010

Veggies, cooked

broccoli, steamed: 14 minutes
squash, baked, toaster oven: 45 minutes
yam, baked, toaster oven: 40-45 minutes
yam, microwaved: 2.5 minutes, flip, 2 minutes
potato, baked, toaster oven: 75 minutes
potato, microwaved: 3.5 minutes, flip, 3 minutes
carrots, steamed: 20 minutes

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Women's Health cranberry pear sauce

1/2 cup sugar (1/4 cup turbinado)
12 oz fresh cranberries
3 pears - peeled, cored and chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves

In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup water, sugar & 1/4 tsp salt to boil. stir well

Add everything else. stir well to combine. Reduce to low heat and simmer 25-30 mins until cranberries burst. Remove from heat. Serve at room temp or chilled

pineapple ginger cranberry sauce

3/4 cup pineapple juice (or pureed pineapple)
2 tsp (+) minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup sugar (1/4 cup +1 Tbs Turbinado)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

combine the pineapple juice and ginger in a saucepan and stir in sugar until dissolved. Add nutmeg and cranberries and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 - 10 mins or until berries begin to pop. Remove from heat and chill until serving time.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Ice Cream

2.5 cups whole (organic) milk
1.5 cups heavy (organic) cream
0.5 cups + 1 Tbsp maple syrup (organic, grade B)
2 egg yolks (large)
1/2 vanilla bean (Penzy's)

split vanilla bean in half length wise and scrape out seeds with edge of knife.

mix milk, cream, all of vanilla bean and 1/2 cup of maple syrup in pan.

put egg yolks and Tbsp of maple syrup in bowl and whisk.

heat milk mixture to 175 deg F, stirring constantly. remove from heat and transfer 1/2 cup of hot mixture at a time to egg yolks/syrup, whisking constantly, until about 1/2 of mixture is transferred.

pour back into pan, scraping vanilla seeds from side with spatula, bringing heat to 185 deg F, whisking constantly. immediately remove from heat and place mixture into a bowl in an ice bath. cool to room temp or below, then refrigerate till mixture is cool (~40 deg F, from 3-8 hrs).

remove vanilla bean husk(s) and pour into ice cream maker, scraping side of bowl to get all of the vanilla seeds. operate for 20-25 minutes (Cuisinart model). transfer to glass container that is pre-frozen in freezer and allow to set up.

Variations:
1 cup cream/3 cups milk - not as creamy!
substitute 1 cup keifer (Greek) for 1 cup milk (while cooling) - adds nice tangy component
Might play with reducing syrup slightly

Note: Mixture increases in volume during freezing (due to air entrainment). Overflow of container can result in a big mess both outside and inside (read - you must take it apart to clean it) the unit.