Thursday, September 25, 2014

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Vegetarian Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

I might try this one

It's from Kalyn's Kitchen

Vegetarian Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup with Lime

(Makes 4-6 servings, recipe adapted from Black Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes found in Fine Cooking Soups and Stews.)


1 T olive oil
1 large onion, diced small
1 tsp. minced garlic
3/4 tsp. ground coriander
3/4 - 1 tsp. ground cumin (I used a whole teaspoon, but I love cumin)
1/4 tsp. ground fennel
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch piece
2 cans (15 oz. can) black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups homemade vegetable or chicken stock (or use 3 cans broth and just freeze the extra)
salt to taste
2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
fat free Greek yogurt or light sour cream for serving
lime wedges to squeeze into the soup, optional


Heat olive oil in heavy soup pot, add diced onion and cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, or until onions are just starting to brown. Add minced garlic, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground fennel and fresh-ground black pepper and saute 1-2 minutes more, or until spices are becoming fragrant.

While onions are cooking, peel and dice sweet potato and rinse beans until no more foam appears, then drain. After onions and spice mixture have been sauteed, add the diced sweet potatoes, black beans, and vegetable or chicken stock to the soup pot, along with salt to taste. Let soup simmer on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are falling-apart tender. (There will be some foam from the beans that rises to the top during cooking; just skim off with a large spoon or stock skimmer.)

When sweet potatoes are tender, use a slotted spoon to remove 3 cups of beans and sweet potatoes; then use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree the remaining soup. (Be very careful with the hot soup if using a regular blender; fill the blender container only about 3/4 full and hold the lid on the blender with a towel or hot pad draped over the lid.)

Add the reserved sweet potatoes and beans back into the soup and simmer about 15 minutes more. Taste to see if you want to add more salt; then add the lime juice and simmer about 5 minutes more.

Serve hot, with a dollop of fat free Greek yogurt or light sour cream. If desired you can serve with lime wedges so people who want to can squeeze more lime juice into their soup.


This printable recipe from KalynsKitchen.com.

Key Lime Coconut Energy Bites

This looks good

It's from Spoon Full of Flavor

Key Lime Coconut Energy Bites
Key Lime Coconut Energy Bites
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 1/2 cup cashews
  • 1 1/2 cups Medjool dates*, pitted
  • zest and juice from 3 key limes
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
Instructions
  1. Add the almonds and cashews to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until nuts are finely chopped (but do not pulse too long, you do not want the nuts to turn into a paste). Add the dates, lime juice and zest. Pulse until the dates are finely chopped and the mixture starts to clump. Shape the mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll in coconut to coat outside of the balls. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
If Medjool dates are not available, any other pitted date will work.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

This is good!

We can get a kind of squash/pumpkin here and it makes a great pumpkin pie. I peel, cube, and roast it (tossed with a little oil - 400 degrees until tender).

2 cups mashed, cooked pumpkin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten (Ghana eggs can be small so I often add an extra egg)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:
Make your favorite pie crust recipe. I used McVites Digestive biscuits, crushed, mixed with a little melted butter. I patted them in the bottom the pie pan.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).


I threw all the ingredients into a vitamix and blended until smooth. You could also use a mixer with speed on medium - beat pumpkin with evaporated milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Mix well. 

Pour into a prepared crust. Bake 40 minutes or until when a knife is inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean.

Serve with whipping cream!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars - made with oil

I haven't tried these but I will soon

From The Best Ever Cookie Collection

Simple Chocolate Chip Bars Recipe for a Small Batch

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
  1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
  2. Grease a 8x8-inch pan with cooking spray.
  3. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt with a whisk in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  4. Beat together the oil and sugar with a wooden spoon until well combined.
  5. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
  6. Add the flour mixture a little at a time, stirring until well combined.
  7. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using).
  8. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (avoiding chocolate pieces as they will be melty).
  9. Cool on wire rack.
  10. Cut into desired size bars.
  11. Store the cookie bars in the pan covered with foil or plastic wrap or remove them from the pan and place them in an airtight container. These chocolate chip cookie bars freeze well too.
This recipe for Simple Chocolate Chip Bars makes about 12 cookie bars.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Dark Chocolate Cake - using oil and cocoa powder

Butter is expensive in Ghana, and good cooking chocolate is non-existent - so a delicious rich chocolate cake like this that uses oil and cocoa is perfect.

From Allrecipes.com

I cut the recipe in half and baked it in a loaf pan.

Dark Chocolate Cake II
recipe image
Rated:rating
Submitted By: Kellygurll
Photo By: megumi
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 35 Minutes
Ready In: 55 Minutes
Servings: 12
"The absolute best, richest, and easiest one-bowl chocolate cake recipe ever! It's great topped with chocolate cream cheese frosting!"
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup cold brewed coffee (I used water and vanilla extract)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vinegar (oops - forgot the vinegar and it was still good)
DIRECTIONS:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan.
2.In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, coffee, milk, oil and vinegar. Mix until smooth; the batter will be thin. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
3.Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.