Easy and Healthy in January

At the request of my brother-in-law Doug I am going to post a go-to healthy and easy recipe every day in the month of January to make sure that all my faithful recipes are out there as a resource. Keep our eyes peeled for some fun stuff!!!

Also in his honor is the recipe for the cake I made last night:

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

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Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 3/4 cups cranberries
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon and allspice. Sprinkle mixture evenly over bottom of pan; arrange cranberries in a single layer on top.
2. With an electric mixer, cream remaining 6 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until well combined. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, until well combined.
3. Spoon batter over cranberries in pan, and smooth top. Place pan on a baking sheet; bake cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake; invert onto a rimmed platter.

Happy New Year

So according to southern tradition we eat collard greens and black eyed peas on new years eve to encourage prosperity in the new year. Whether this is here or there everyone is at my house this year and I am cooking the greens and peas. I decided to go with a cold bean salad recipe and I am braising the greens with almonds and raisins, which will go well with the ham. both recipes require minimal cooking down of the veggies which retains nutrients and they don't use any butter or salt to keep us all prosperous and healthy in 2012 :)

 

 

Sauted Collard Greens

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/4 pounds (about 2 bunches) collard greens, stalks removed, leaves thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast until golden, about 8 minutes. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add collard greens and raisins; cook, tossing occasionally, until collards are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vinegar. Serve sprinkled with toasted almonds.

Texas Two-Bean Salad

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Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 can (15 ounces) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 jar (4 ounces) chopped pimentos, drained
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), finely chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and sugar. Add black-eyed peas, beans, pimentos, celery, and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days). Serve with a slotted spoon.

Apple Walnut tappenade

This is a recipe I tasted at a Pampered Chef party and I stole it from a consultant's site so it is in Pampered Chef-ese, but it is delicious and I am making it for my family this Christmas, but I might add dried cranberries with the raisins. 

Apple & Walnut Tapenade

Ingredients:
1 lemon
2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled
1/3 cup walnut halves, toasted
1/2 cup raisins
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves

Directions:
1.  Zest lemon using Microplane(R) Zester to measure 3/4 tsp (4 mL). Juice lemon using Citrus Press to measure 1 tbsp (15 mL). Cut apple into wedges using Apple Wedger.

2.  Combine walnuts, raisins and mint in Manual Food Processor; cover and pump handle until coarsely chopped. Add half of the apple wedges, lemon zest and juice; process until coarsely chopped. Add remaining apple wedges; process to desired consistency, removing lid and scraping down sides of bowl as necessary using Mini Mix 'N Scraper(R).

Yield: 16 servings (about 2 cups/500 mL)
Cook's Tip: To toast walnuts or pecans, place in Small Micro- Cooker®; microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 1–3 minutes or until toasted, stirring every 30 seconds.

Coconut-Curry Noodle Soup

This was a really fun dinner and super tasty. Great for a cold night!

Coconut Curry Noodle Soup

This recipe is very versatile. The traditional way to eat it is to put the ingredients in the bowl and pour the hot broth on top. You can basically add any veggies, meat, or tofu as you like. Traditional toppings include scallions, celantro, cucumber, chiles, peanuts or hard-cooked eggs. Below is what I used, but make it your own :)

10 oz. Soba noodles
1 tbsp oil
1 summer squash chopped
1 onion sliced
(the squash and onion were my adds because they were in the fridge, for just the broth leave them out)
1/4 cup Thai curry paste
4 cups broth
1 can (14 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
1 lemon

1. boil noodles to package directions. Drian and rinse under cold water. Toss with 1 tsp oil.
2. Heat remaing 2 tsp oil in a medium saucepan  over medium heat. Here i cooked the veggies, when they were done I added the curry paste. It is important to cook curry at the beginning of curry recipes to release the flavors. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 min. Whisk in stock, raise heat and bring to a boil. Whisk in coconut milk. Cook until just simmering (DO NOT BOIL!!)
3. Cut lemon in half and squeeze half into saucepan. Cut the other half into wedges for serving. Divide noodles and broth among bowls and add toppings.
We topped with shredded chicken, peanuts, celantro, fresh bean sprouts.