Broccoli Slaw Salad

(4 servings)

I generally don't purchase pre cut fruits or vegetables, but  bags of broccoli slaw were on sale and I decided to give one a try. I based this on my broccoli salad which I make with small broccoli florets. I prefer the florets, but this salad wasn't half bad.

Daring Cooks Challenge July, 2011 - Käse Spätzle

(2 servings, as main course)

Steph from Stephfood was our Daring Cooks' July hostess.  Steph challenged us to make homemade noodles without the help of a motorized pasta machine.  She provided us with recipes for Spätzle and Fresh Egg Pasta as well as a few delicious sauces to pair our noodles with! 

I decided to make Spätzle, adapting the recipe we were given. 

Labneh (Yogurt) Low Fat Cheesecake (7 inch)

I had planned on mixing my labneh with some chives, garlic and green onions for a bagel spread, but I had a couple of very ripe bananas and was curious how the labneh would hold up in a cheesecake.

Years ago I experimented with tofu cheesecakes sweetened with bananas. They weren't bad, but they did taste a bit like the tofu, which is unexpected if you don't know what went into the cheesecake beforehand. The labneh is tarter than cream cheese, but that's not as noticeable when combined with the bananas and honey. If anything, I like a slight tartness in my desserts.

What makes this cheesecake wonderful is the taste and creamy texture is very similar to a conventional cheesecake made with cream cheese...   but, the amount of fat in it is considerably lower.

The graham crust is kind of crumbly in this recipe because I used less butter. I couldn't bring myself to add more, but perhaps 1 tablespoon of honey rather than the brown sugar might have made a firmer crust. I'll try that the next time. The crumbly crust was fine.. it certainly wasn't a deal breaker.

Dulce de Leche Tapioca Pudding

(4servings)

This pudding ends up taking a day to make, but in my opinion it's worth the wait. I like to soak the tapioca in the morning, cook the pudding in the evening and then let it cool overnight.

Labneh

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(about 9 oz)

Labneh is strained yogurt which has a consistency similar to cream cheese, but with a lot less calories and a wonderful tangy flavour.

It can be served plain or combined with fresh herbs such as chives and mint, then drizzled with olive oil.

Lemon Meringue Tartlets

(12 x 2" tartlets)

I made two batches of these for the July 4th festivities. An unusual choice perhaps, but I had lemons and a strong craving... plus.. I have a cute tartlet pan which fits perfectly in my small convection oven and I wanted to try it out.

When I made the lemon filling, I added the egg yolks right at the beginning and whisked everything until the mixture came to a boil and thickened. I've never seen the need to add them later and that saves a step.

The egg yolks I used were nearly orange in colour, tinting the lemon filling a lovely yellow.

pastry for a 9 inch pie

Lemon Filling
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2-3 tsp lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
3 egg yolks 
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cups water
1 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut the pastry into circles and press them into the tartlet pan. Allow a bit of the pastry to "hang" past the pan as it will shrink as it bakes. Prick the bottom and sides of the pastry with a fork and bake for about 6-8 minutes or until the shells are browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan.

Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, egg yolks and lemon juice in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in the water.

Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil while whisking the mixture. Continue whisking and boil for one minute, then remove from heat and stir in the butter.

Cool the filling slightly, then divide it evenly among the cooled tartlet shells. Set aside and allow the filling to cool completely.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Meringue
3 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar

Beat the egg whites until they begin to form soft peaks, then gradually beat in the sugar and continue to beat until they are stiff and glossy.

I like to scoop a small amount of meringue into a sandwich bag (and cut off a corner) to pipe a small circle around each tartlet ensuring it's touching the pastry.. (that way the meringue won't pull away or shrink from the edges later.)



Use the rest of the meringue to completely cover each tartlet.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the surface of the meringue becomes an even brown. Remove from oven and cool.

Slow Cooked Boston Beans

(about 4 servings)

I used to make these in the oven, but since moving to Dallas, I've made them in my slow cooker instead. They seem to come out almost the same; if anything, imo the slow cooker method seems to produce slightly moister beans.

There was no salt pork at the market yesterday.. they did have smoked pork jowls, but those were huge and I wasn't sure what I'd do with the other half, so I settled on a small package of prosciutto ends. The flavour they added was very good, I loved the small prosciutto pieces and I was pleased there was a lower amount of fat in the dish.

Orange Poppy Seed Loaf

(4x8 loaf) 

I have been thinking about this cake ever since I made my blueberry cake. I used to get a slice of an orange-poppy seed cake in Toronto with my coffee at a coffee shop and still think about that cake. This recipe comes pretty close to that, although this one isn't as sweet and uses whole wheat flour.