Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

I love gingerbread in the fall and winter. I love chocolate all year long. So, when I saw a recipe for a chocolate gingerbread cake in my mega-file of recipes, I decided to make it for company this past weekend.

The source is unknown as it was torn out of a magazine, but it looks like a recipe developed by McCormick spices (as they are mentioned by brand). Anyway, as I often do, I altered the recipe to lower the fat content and made it my own.

Because the recipe calls for a cake mix, it’s rather simple to get together. Instant pudding mix is also required, so I bought a cake mix that did not already have pudding in it (and it was difficult to find a brand that did not have a banner across the front of the box proclaiming “Pudding In The Mix!!!”).

Unfortunately I did not have any canned pears on hand. I use pureed pears a lot as a fat substitute with success. Simply drain a can of pears, in their juices not in syrup, and puree until smooth. A 14- or 15-ounce can will produce 2/3 to ¾ cup of puree, and it can be frozen for later use. Instead, for this recipe, I used a half of a fresh, ripe pear (pureed) to replace some of the oil.

The resulting cake was delicious. I overbaked it a little, because somehow the slip of paper which I keep in my pan which warns “dark pans bake faster!”, was missing and I forget this every darn time (hence, the paper warning). Still, it was a moist cake, neither overpowering gingerbread nor chocolate flavor, but a nice mingling of the two. Whipped topping is traditional for gingerbread, so I used that, but a white chocolate drizzle would also be nice. Next time! :)

* Exported from MasterCook *

Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 14

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1/2 cup light sour cream

1/4 cup pureed pears

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 package Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Dark Chocolate

Fudge Cake Mix -- or any brand without pudding added

1 package Jello Instant Pudding Mix, Chocolate Fudge -- (3.9 ounce size)

Spray a 10-cup bundt pan with cooking oil spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350F.

With an electric mixer, beat eggs and egg whites in a large bowl until foamy. Add the ingredients sour cream through molasses and beat for 1 minute. Add water and spices and blend into the mixture.

Pour the cake mix, then the pudding mix, into the wet ingredients. Beat at low speed for 1 minute to incorporate ingredients, scraping the bowl frequently, then turn the speed up to medium for 2 minutes (again, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently).

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted between the center and side of the pan comes out with only a couple of crumbs attached.

Cool cake on rack for 15 minutes. Loosen cake from center and edges, tap gently once or twice on a hard surface, then invert onto a cooking rack sprayed with cooking spray. Allow to cool completely.

Slice and serve with whipped topping.

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Per serving: 265 Calories (kcal); 8g Total Fat (2g Saturated); (26% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 27mg Cholesterol; 448mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

Musing... no recipe... :)

It is dusk on a mid-November afternoon. Snow flurries are falling gently outside as the daylights fades and I have just turned on the gas fireplace here in the living room because I feel chilly. I made a mug of hot chocolate, which is on the table beside me. Also on the table is a wreath of bittersweet that I made a few days ago and, in its center, an apple cider-spiced candle which is set inside an antique glass sugar bowl. I have lit the candle and the scent of apples and spices are mingling with the chocolate.

There is only one thing which could make this scene perfect, and I dig out the case of holiday cd’s to find it. A reissue of George Winston’s December. I would normally wait until December to listen to it, but this tableau is too perfect, too wanting of appropriate music.

I bought December in 1985 or 1986 and, until 2 years ago, listened to it in cassette form. Last year, I sprung for the 20^th anniversary edition and it did not disappoint. Why I had waited so long to purchase this recording in a media which did not hiss or pop, I don’t know.

I sit. Outside it is now dark, inside gorgeous seasonal piano music fills the warm, scented room.

*huge, completely contented sigh*

I want to write. I need to write. There are a stack of scribbled recipes beside me, food photos in the camera which need to be downloaded. But I cannot do it. I must listen to the music, watch the candle flame dance, and enjoy my Sunday late afternoon…

Tomorrow. I will post tomorrow. :)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Last week I bought a 3-pack of canned pumpkin at Sam’s (the big cans) because we go a little pumpkin-crazy at this time of year. I don’t know why, since Jack and I enjoy it so much, I don’t use pumpkin more often. This time of year is appropriate, I guess, so we have indulged in pumpkin pancakes, waffles, muffins, cakes, brownies, breads, etc. And I bought a pie pumpkin to make a pumpkin curry with in the near future.


Sunday is definitely a baking day here since our usual Sunday evening dinner is pizza and I don’t like to heat the oven to do one 10-minute item. I found a pumpkin muffin recipe in a recent issue of Canadian Living and used that recipe as a base for adapting it to a quick bread. For a first effort it turned out incredibly well. A bit over-baked, but that will be adjusted the next time. Anyway, the bread had a nice, subtle pumpkin/spice flavor, it was moist, and who doesn’t love chocolate chips in pumpkin bread?!?! Each slice has only 6g total fat (1g saturated) and 2g fiber, which throws it into my classification of a “healthy snack”! :)


This turned out so nicely that I am going to make that muffin recipe from Canadian Living, with only minor changes, soon.




* Exported from MasterCook *

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread


Recipe By: Vicci
Servings : 28


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts -- toasted


Preheat oven to 350F.


Spray two 8" x 4" loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside.


In a large bowl, whisk together the flour through the salt and set aside.


In a medium bowl, use a whisk to beat the eggs and egg whites until fluffy; add the canola oil through vanilla extract and whisk until combined.


Make a "well" in the center of the dry mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix lightly until almost combined, then add the chocolate chips and walnuts. Continue to mix gently until combined.


Divide mixture between the loaf pans and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean of crumbs.


Cool for 10 minutes on a rack, then loosen the sides from the pan, tap gently on a solid surface a couple of times. Turn loaves out onto the rack to cool for at least an hour before slicing.


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Per serving: 153 Calories (kcal); 6g Total Fat (1g Saturated); (31% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 13mg Cholesterol; 193mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate


*Toast walnuts after the oven preheats (just be certain that they are at least room-temperature before adding to the batter). In fact, toast a whole bunch of them, cool, and freeze in a plastic freezer bag for (easy) future use!

Trader Joe's Punjab Spinach Sauce (to the rescue!)

I haven’t been around for a while, and can place the blame directly on our house and its never-ending need of maintenance. Again, since I mentioned this earlier in October when this fall-fix-up blitz began, if anyone out there has some romantic notion about restoring an old house, please talk to me first! Especially if you are in your mid-20’s and are under the impression that both your youth and energy are of endless supply. I was that person, but am much wiser now…


Our area was blessed with five consecutive days of unseasonably warm weather. Near 70 degrees in early November is unusual, and we took full advantage of it. Although our house is brick, the trim is wood and, no matter what brand/type of paint I buy, needs to be repainted every few years. However, with all of the painting I have done in these almost-25 years here I simply never get around to the front porch. This is not the main entrance to our house; it doesn’t even have a path or sidewalk access, so it has been ignored while I was kept busy with the windows and other parts of the house. The front porch is 2 story’s in height, with fancy spindles on both levels, as well as recessed panels and sidelights. There were over 140 years’ worth of paint accumulated, some had fallen off to the bare wood and the rest was cracked. The job was just so overwhelming that we put it off every year, and every fall wished that we hadn’t. This year was different. We just did it.


We completed the first level 2 weeks ago and, this past Monday morning I saw the weather forecast and suggested that we see if we could finish the second level. Some of the work had been done last year, and protected with plastic which recently tore and had to be removed.

This was taken on Thursday (sorry, our politics are showing!).
Yes, Jack is standing on a ladder with only one side supported.
He insisted that it was the only way he could get the angle which he needed to scrape paint from one area, and he since didn’t fall off and break a leg, I guess that it worked.

All week we scraped and burnt off the remaining paint layers, repaired cracked windowpanes and missing pieces, caulked the numerous areas where pieces has “moved” apart, sanded, primed, and added a layer of topcoat. Even though the spindles on this level are rotting and need to be replaced, it still looks beautiful! We do need another top-coat, but that can be done in the spring. And we finished with two hours to spare.


This has been a brutal week, though. We both have bruised, scraped, sore hands and many aches and pains as well. A cold front arrived last night (thankfully!) and brought high winds and rain. I had cleaned the kitchen after dinner then joined Jack in the living room where a book held my attention of a whole 15 minutes before I fell asleep until 11pm. We went to bed and, to illustrate how wiped out we were, Jack was awakened by the storm (because he was so achy that he wasn’t sleeping well) and I slept through it (because I was exhausted). Normally I am the light sleeper and he is definitely not.


The outdoor work is over for this year, yahoo!


Lunches this week became very quick meals. We didn’t want to spend too much time inside, since we had to quit working at 5 since the daylight hours are shorter now. A few times I was able to make extra for dinner the night before and recycle those meals, but we did have one outstanding lunch which took only 20 minutes and really hit the spot.


I have mentioned my love of Trader Joe’s Indian simmer sauces in previous posts and I shall reiterate that again here. A jar of TJ’s Punjab Spinach Simmer Sauce, a can of chickpeas, some veggies, and J's tandoori naan—a great meal in about 25 minutes, tops.




Here is what I did:


(If you want to serve rice instead of naan, start it first)


Prepare 1 cup cauliflower florets and ¾ cup diagonally sliced carrots


Bring ½ cup water to a boil in a large nonstick sauté pan and add the cauliflower and carrots. Cover and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes while you prepare:
1 cup diced onion and ¾ cup diced green pepper


Add to the pan and cook for 2 more minutes until cauliflower is almost tender.


(At this point, I started to preheat my toaster oven to 425F* for the naan.)


Add the spinach sauce and another ½ to ¾ cup of water (the directions on the jar call for a cup of water in addition to the sauce, but you will have some water still in the pan from steaming the veggies; make your own decision here). Add one 15-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (this is about 9 ounces of cooked chickpeas).


Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes.


(About 3 minutes* before serving, heat the naan, if using.)


Serve with a large dollop of nonfat plain yogurt.


A sprinkling of chopped cilantro would have been good, but my plants froze last week...


The beauty of this kind of recipe is that almost any vegetable can be added (green beans, red bell pepper, peas, broccoli, etc.) and canned kidney beans or cooked lentils can be subbed for the chickpeas.


I steam the vegetables instead of sautéing because that eliminates any additional oil, and the cooking water is then used in the sauce so that more nutrients are retained.



*- About the naan-- I have found that, even though the naan instructions call for a 400F oven and about 2 minutes of baking time, my toaster oven needs a lightly higher temperature and a longer cooking time than my “regular” oven or the grill (which remains my favorite way to heat this particular bread).


Now, especially if it is served with rice, this could probably make at least 3, or possibly 4, servings. We ate it all. We were hungry!!!



I should be posting more regularly now that the outdoor fix-up blitz is over. :)

Moroccan-Spiced Vegetable Soup

Today, the first snow fluffies of the season. I celebrate by wearing my red sweater with embroidered snowflakes. Yes, my life is that exciting!

While we were at the lake house this past weekend, it was chilly and rainy. There were some of Trader Joe’s tandoori naan in the freezer, so I came up with warming, spiced soup to serve with it.

Check out the nutritional info—lowfat with tons of protein and fiber (for a 2-cup serving), and absolutely delicious to boot!

I forgot to "dollop" the plain yogurt until after the photo was taken and we had started eating.

As is appropriate in so very many areas of my life, I just say "better late than never"!

* Exported from MasterCook *

Moroccan-Spiced Vegetable and Bean Soup

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 4

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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1 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces sweet onion -- 1/4-inch dice; about 1 1/2 cups

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon grated ginger root

6 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 cup red lentils

14 ounces diced canned tomatoes with juice, undrained)

1/2 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup diced celery

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper -- or more to taste

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

9 ounces garbanzo beans -- (from a 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)

9 ounces cannellini beans -- (from a 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

In a nonstick pot, heat the oil over medium heat then add the onions and saute, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 2 more minutes.

Add vegetable broth, lentils, diced tomatoes, carrots, celery, and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about a half hour or until lentils are tender (they will split apart and disintegrate a bit as the cooking goes on). Add garbanzo and cannellini beans and cook for 5 minutes or until heated through.

Carefully pour half of the soup into the blender and blend until smooth. Return to pot and combine with the unblended soup; stir in lemon juice. Ladle into bowls and top with dollops of yogurt and sprinklings of cilantro.

Yield:

"8 cups"

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Per serving: 612 Calories (kcal); 9g Total Fat; (12% calories from fat); 29g Fiber; 46g Protein; 93g Carbohydrate; 2mg Cholesterol; 977mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 5 Grain (Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

My Notes: The next time, I will toss in a diced potato as well.

Creamy Root Vegetable Soup

I noticed this morning that there was a length of garden hose lying outside of the back door and was surprised that, with all of the other outdoor summery items I had cleaned and stored in the basement or garage in the previous couple of days, I didn’t take care of this. So just before lunch I went outside to have one final look around the patio areas before the predicted *shudder* snow moves in tonight.

Suddenly, it is winter. Well, no, but it certainly felt like it. If I hadn’t seen the gold, red, and still-green trees, and had wandered outside with my eyes closed (that hardly ever happens, really), I would have thought it was January.

The sky is a dark gray, the wind gusts are close to 20mph, the air temperature is in the upper 30’s but feels as though it’s in the low 30’s, and it’s also spattering rain. Suddenly the wind stops, the sun comes out, and the gold trees practically glow in the light. Then some more gray, more wind, harder rain.

I did not stay outside for very long, and my faithful feline companion Spooky decided that he would rather be curled up on the warm radiator instead of chasing leaves in the yard.

This is definitely a soup day.

I have declared this to be The Fall/ Winter of the Soup Lunch. Jack has not previously considered soup to be a meal, but he is slowly beginning to see things my way. How better to get a lot of nutritious vegetables than in a nice, substantial, warming soup? And now that the weather had turned cool (cold! freezing cold!!!) I have a supply of homemade bread on hand to either make go-along sandwiches or just serve warm with the soup.

Years ago I had clipped a recipe for a soup which contained parsnip and carrot, and since I now actually had a couple of parsnips on hand, I dug the recipe out of the depths of my binder and went to work.

This soup was easy to get started (actually, I worked on it as Jack changed the water filter underneath the kitchen sink. Tell me, after reminding him to do this chore since last spring, why did he choose when I was in the kitchen cooking, needing to use the sink??? But I digress…). Onions are sautéed until sweet and golden, then parsnips and carrots added for a bit and stirred until softened. Vegetable broth is poured in, potatoes added, and the mixture simmers for a while. When the vegetables are soft, fresh parsley and thyme are stirred in and the mixture is pureed until almost smooth. That mixture is then returned to the pot, lowfat half & half and is added, the thick, fragrant mixture is rewarmed, and dry sherry is stirred in.

After ladling into soup bowls, I garnished with some light sour cream (thinned with more lowfat half & half).

Jack wrinkled his nose at the mention of parsnip, but immediately said how good it was. And he was right. The parsnip added a peppery bite, the carrot a little sweetness, and the potato substance. Balanced with the creaminess of the lowfat half & half and spiked with dry sherry, this could very well be an elegant first course to a holiday meal or a nice light lunch.

As an additional note, Spooky enjoyed the soup as well. Yet he turns his little nose up at shrimp. Go figure.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Creamy Root Vegetable Soup

Recipe By: Vicci

Serving Size: 3

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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2 tablespoons olive oil

9 ounces sweet onion -- quartered, sliced 1/4" thick; about 2 1/2 cups

6 ounces parsnip -- peeled and chopped into 1/4" pieces; about 1 1/2 cups

4 ounces carrot -- peeled and chopped into 1/4" pieces; about 1 cup

10 ounces white potato -- peeled and chopped into 1/4" pieces

3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley -- or 1 tablespoon dried

1 teaspoon fresh thyme -- or 1/2 teaspoon dried, crumbled thyme

3/4 cup lowfat half & half

2 tablespoons dry sherry

3 tablespoons light sour cream

1 1/2 tablespoons lowfat half & half

In a nonstick pot, heat the oil then sauté the onion slices over a medium flame until golden, stirring frequently, for about 12 minutes. Add the parsnip and carrot and stir often for another 10 minutes (do not allow the vegetables to burn). Add the potato, stir for a few more minutes, then add the broth. Bring the broth to a boil, turn down the heat to low, add the DRIED herbs (if using), cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Stir in the FRESH thyme and parsley, if using, and cook for 2 more minutes.

In two batches, puree the hot soup (be careful of steam burns!) until almost smooth. Return to the pot, add the lowfat half & half, and rewarm slowly*, stirring constantly. Stir in the sherry.

In a small bowl mix the sour cream and 1-1/2 tablespoons of lowfat half & half until smooth.

Ladle soup into bowls, dollop with sour cream.

* Lowfat half & half will curdle if brought to a boil, so turn off the heat before this can happen.

Yield:

"4 cups"

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Per serving: 284 Calories (kcal); 10g Total Fat (2g Saturated); (30% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 1mg Cholesterol; 548mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

This was originally a Gourmet recipe, but I made several changes to it and therefore deem it as my own. The Queen has spoken.

Roasted Tomato Puree

Last Saturday I purchased some wrinkly Roma tomatoes for 75¢ a pound. They were neither moldy nor rotten, just a little past their prime and I had a specific use in mind.

I had the oven going on Monday morning for the apple muffins and, after they were done, I bumped up the heat a bit to roast the Romas. I was happy to do this, for the heat. I was still resisting turning on the furnace in our house. I’m not a totally frugal person, but we do have an old house with large windows and high ceilings and, even though the thermostat is set at around 65ºF in the daytime during the winter, I wait as long as possible to start those high heating bills rolling in.

Roasting tomatoes is a perfect way to use those which are not fresh enough to be used in salads, or even in cooked recipes. This technique concentrates their flavor and gives them a wonderful “roasted” taste as well. The final product is a thick paste, just a little thinner than commercial tomato paste, which is perfect to add to soups, stews, and gravies for an incredible punch of tomato flavor. I purchased a dozen medium sized ones and they produced about a cup of puree.

The Roma variety are particularly suited to this technique ad they are more “meaty” than the other varieties. I have used regular tomatoes, though, but I roughly chop them then drain in a strainer for a half hour or so in order to eliminate the excess moisture.

I have to apologize for the imprecise amount of tomatoes. I had thought that my receipt would show the weight of the tomatoes, so I didn’t bother to weigh them before cooking, but now I cannot locate the receipt.

Now, when I make this I do not add anything other than olive oil, salt, and pepper; I want the flavor of the tomatoes to shine through.

Vicci’s Roasted Tomato Puree

12 medium Roma tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for the pan

freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt, to taste

Heat oven to 450ºF. Lightly coat a baking pan with olive oil. Remove the stems from the Roma tomatoes and quarter. Place, skin side down, on the baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper (don’t use too much, you can always add more after making the puree).

Roast for 25-35 minutes, occasionally shaking the pan gently, or until very soft (the skins will begin to brown a little but do not allow them to burn).

Remove from oven and cool. Transfer the tomatoes to a blender or small food processor (also scrape any juices or excess oil from the pan and add to the tomatoes). Puree until smooth. If necessary, add a little more olive oil to improve consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Store for up to a week in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator, or for longer storage, place

1 tablespoon portions in an empty ice cube tray and freeze; pop out the cubes and store in a plastic freezer container or bag.

To use, add to soups, stews, or gravy starting with one tablespoon and increasing amount as desired.

Also, a quick and quite good tomato soup can be made by using a cup of vegetable stock, 2 tablespoons of puree, about a half teaspoon of sugar, some basil, and a dash of cayenne.

Now, I have to admit that on Monday evening I finally caved in and turned up the thermostat. There's only so much self-sacrifice I can handle, and waking in a 56-degree bedroom was beginning to lose its novelty...