Sari's Sugar Free Recipes

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-11-11T13:40:00.000-08:00

8 oz of cream cheese (or soy cream cheese)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup splenda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. of ginger
1/8 tsp. of nutmeg

Blend all ingredients together. Refrigerate and then spread on cake.

Pomegranate Punch

2011-10-31T07:51:00.001-07:00

1 cup tequila
1 liter of diet 7up
1 liter of pomegranate juice
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

Mix the tequila, 7up and pomegranate juice. Chill. (Or chill separately before mixing.)
Pour into a glass bowl with ice, add the pomegranate seeds. (They float to the top.)

Enjoy!

Strawberry cake

2011-10-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

6 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 egg
2/3 cup strawberry smoothie (ex: Naked brand)
1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix wet ingredients, add dry, mix. fold in strawberries. Spread batter evenly in a 9x13 pan and bake for 35 minutes or until lightly brown.

Zucchini Pineapple Cake

2010-04-15T05:08:00.000-07:00

2 cups spelt flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup pineapple juice (reserved from can)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups loosely packed grated, unpeeled zucchini
1 cup canned pineapple tidbits packed in juice, drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine dry ingredients, add wet, combine and fold in pineapple and zucchini. Spray an 8x8 pan with baking spray and pour batter in. Smooth top with a spatula.
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2010-04-15T05:06:00.000-07:00

2 ripe bananas, mashed (about one cup)
1 1/2 cups oatmeal (not instant and not rolled oats)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients together. Drop by teaspoon on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 15 min. until lightly brown at the edges.
Makes 30 small cookies

Healthier Waldorf Salad

2010-02-16T13:07:00.000-08:00

2 large green apples (granny smith)
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 cup walnuts
2 sticks celery
3/4 cup plain yogurt (3% fat)

Dice apples, toss with lemon juice. Slice celery. Mix all ingredients together and serve.

Mexican Style Fish

2010-02-16T12:50:00.000-08:00

1 Corvina, or other white fish, filleted. (4 portions)
1 onion
1 jalepeno pepper, seeds removed, and sliced into rings (use only half if you prefer it to be less spicy.)
2 plum tomatoes
1/2 cup green olives, sliced
1/4 cup lime juice
salt
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Saute onion in olive oil. Add jalepeno pepper and saute, add tomatoes and saute until wilted.
Remove from heat, add green olives, lime juice and salt to taste and mix. Place fillets in a single layer on a baking dish, spread vegetable mixture over fish. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

Bake on the top rack of the oven for about 20 minutes until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Spelt Pie Crust

2010-01-12T08:03:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. white spelt flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter (or margarine)
1/4 cup cold water
1 egg lightly beaten, optional

Crust Instructions:
Place flour and salt in food processor. Pulse to mix. Add butter or margarine and pulse until butter is cut into small pieces. Add water and pulse until mixture is crumbly, but don't allow it to come together in a ball. Remove from food processor and form into a ball. You can refrigerate for half an hour to make it easier to roll. Roll out dough in circular piece 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick on a lightly floured board. Place in a 9-inch pie plate; trim excess. Reserve some dough for a topping.
You can brush the crust with egg before filling to keep it from getting moist. Also, you can brush the top before baking (after filling) to give it a nice shine.

*To prebake, preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden.

Zucchini Quiche

2010-01-12T08:01:00.000-08:00

pie crust dough (if you roll it thinly, 1/2 a recipe should be enough)
2 medium zucchini
2 eggs
1 cup grated kashkaval or white cheddar
250 grams cottage cheese
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. oregano
pepper

2 T. parmesan
paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out crust, place in a shallow nine inch pie plate. Prebake crust for 8 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350.
Slice zucchini (leave unpeeled) and microwave in a covered dish with a small amount of water for 8 minutes, until tender.
Combine all ingredients except parmesan and paprika. Pour into crust. Sprinkle with parmesan and paprika.
Bake quiche at 350 for 45 minutes or until golden.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

2010-01-12T07:58:00.001-08:00

*(makes about a cup)

1 clove garlic crushed
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2-3/4 cup olive oil
Pour all ingredients in a jar and shake well to combine.

Strawberry Chicken Salad

2010-01-12T06:27:00.000-08:00

300 grams fresh spinach
2 chicken breasts
salt, pepper, paprika
1 avocado
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 small red onion
1/4 slivered almonds
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and paprika and bake for half an hour or until cooked through. Cool and cut into strips.
Wash and slice strawberries, chop avocado, and slice red onion thinly. Toss with spinach, chicken, and almonds.
Just before serving drizzle with dressing.

Roasted Beet Salad

2010-01-06T11:21:00.000-08:00

*The salad in the picture is undressed

500 grams baby lettuce
6 small beets
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 T. olive oil
salt, pepper, dry dill
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup balsamic vinaigrette

Preheat oven to 425.
Peel beets and cut into wedges. Toss with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and place in a single layer in a pan. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dry dill. Roast for 1-1.5 hours, stirring occasionally, until tender and slightly browned at the edges.
Allow to cool and toss with greens and walnuts. Before serving drizzle with vinaigrette and toss.

Blueberry White Chocolate Ice Cream

2010-01-04T07:28:00.000-08:00

2 eggs
3/4 cup granulated splenda
1 cup cream
2 cups milk
75 grams white chocolate, melted

1 cup frozen blueberries
3 T. splenda
1 T. lemon juice

Beat eggs until foamy, add cream and beat until thick. Add splenda and milk and beat. Add melted chocolate and beat.

Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Place blueberries in a bowl with splenda and lemon juice. Allow to defrost, stirring occasionally. Blend blueberry mix. Store in fridge until ready to use.

Remove ice cream from machine. Put into a container and pour about half of the blueberry mixture over, using a knife, cut the blueberry drizzle into the ice cream to make swirls.

Put container in the freezer for 2 hours before serving. (If freezing for longer, you may have to defrost in the fridge for half an hour before scooping.)

Serve with remaining blueberry drizzle.

Meat Sauce

2010-01-04T06:20:00.000-08:00

1 onion, chopped
1/2 kilo (about one pound) ground meat
1 can (800 grams) crushed tomatoes
1 container (260 grams) tomato paste
1/2 T. dried parsley
1/2 T. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. hot pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Saute onion in olive oil. Add meat and brown. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 min.

Quinoa with Black Beans

2010-01-04T06:16:00.000-08:00

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 red pepper, chopped
1 T. olive oil

1.5 cups quinoa

1.5 cups cooked black beans (or canned)

1 cup frozen corn

1 tsp. cumin

1/8 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

3 cups water
fresh coriander, optional
chopped avocado, optional

Saute onion in olive oil in a pot. Add garlic and red pepper and saute. Add remaining ingredients except coriander and avocado. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 min. until quinoa is cooked through.

Serve with coriander and avocado.

Enjoy!

Non-Dairy Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

2010-01-03T11:29:00.001-08:00

This ice cream is a little icier than dairy ice cream (like a cross between ice cream and sorbet), but very good.

2 eggs
3/4 cup granulated splenda
1 14 oz can coconut cream (25% fat)
1 1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 T. vanilla

Beat eggs until foamy, add coconut cream and beat. Add remaining ingredients and mix.

Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Put container in the freezer for 2 hours before serving. (If freezing for longer, you may have to defrost in the fridge for half an hour before scooping.)

Raspberry Glaze

2009-11-02T10:56:00.001-08:00

This goes very well with the chocolate zucchini cake.

1/4 cup soy milk powder
2 T. boiling water
1/4 cup raspberry jelly
2 T. agave nectar

Dissolve soy milk powder in water, stirring until smooth. Add jelly and agave nectar and stir until smooth. Drizzle over cake.

yields about half a cup.

Homemade Applesauce

2009-10-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

Small sweet red apples
cinnamon

Peel and core the apples. Put them in a pot with about 1/2 a cup of water and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Simmer on a low heat, covered, for about an hour. Stir occasionally. When it's done, the apples should be soft and falling apart.
Cool and blend with an immersion blender, or just mash them with a spoon depending on the consistency you like.

Enjoy!

Frozen Banana Popsicles

2009-10-15T10:03:00.001-07:00

Not exactly a recipe...

Very ripe bananas
Popsicle sticks

Cut bananas in half width-wise. Stick a popsicle stick into each half. Wrap in foil and freeze.

Spelt and Oat Challah

2009-10-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

Yield: 4-5 large challahs

2 1/4 cups warm water
3 T. active dry yeast
7-8 cups whole spelt flour
3 cups oat flour (or oats ground in the food processor)
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
5 eggs
3 tsp. salt

additional egg for glazing challah
sesame seeds, optional

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a bowl. Leave for 10 min. Stir and leave for another five minutes. The yeast should be foamy. Mix flours in a large bowl, add yeast mixture and remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Start with 7 cups of spelt flour and add more as necessary until the dough begins to come together. The dough should be soft, but kneadable. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until it is a smooth cohesive dough. (About 10-15 min.)
Return dough to bowl, cover and let rise for about 1 1/2-2 hours until doubled in size. Punch down the dough and braid into loaves. Cover with a towel and allow to rise again until doubled. About another 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Brush with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Preheat oven to 350. Bake for 20-25 min. until lightly golden.

Enjoy!

* You can freeze the dough after you punch it down. Allow to thaw and reach room temperature, shape, and continue with the recipe.
** If desired, you can place the dough in the refrigerator overnight after kneading it. In the morning it should have risen to double the size. Punch down, shape and allow to rise the second time. It will take longer to rise the second time b/c it will be cold.

Mixed fruit pie:

2009-10-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

I just threw this together one day without measuring, the following measurements are approximate. I'll update it if it needs adjustments.

nut crust (I used walnuts this time instead of hazelnuts)
6 cups of ripe unpeeled sliced mixed fruit (I used peaches, nectarines, pears, figs, plums)
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
slivered almonds.

Prebake crust for ten minutes (in a deep dish pie plate), slice fruit, leaving the peels on. Mix fruit with agave nectar and cinnamon and pour into crust. Sprinkle with slivered almonds.
Bake for about 1 hour, until fruit is bubbling. If the almonds begin to brown too much, cover with foil half way through baking.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Butter Almond Ice Cream

2009-09-07T12:40:00.000-07:00

2 eggs
3/4 cup granulated splenda
1 cup cream
2 cups milk
2/3 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
2 T. butter
3/4 tsp. salt
75 grams of milk chocolate

Melt butter in a pan, add almonds and salt, stir constantly until the almonds are dark, be careful not to burn. Remove from pan. Melt the chocolate in the microwave and stir into the almonds. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and place in the fridge or freezer to harden. When hardened break into chunks. Keep in the freezer.

Beat eggs until foamy, add cream and beat until thick. Add splenda and milk and beat.

Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Stir the almonds into the ice cream and place in the freezer.

Hazelnut Oat Pie Crust

2009-09-07T12:29:00.000-07:00

2/3 cup raw hazelnuts
2/3 cup oats
1/3 cup flour (spelt, whole wheat, etc.)
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 T. oil
1 1/2 T. agave nectar
2 T. water

Preheat oven to 350.
Place hazelnuts and oats in the food processor, process until finely ground. Add flour, salt, and cinnamon. Pulse to mix. Add remaining ingredients, pulse until combined. Press firmly into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate.
To prebake, bake at 350 for 20 minutes until slightly browned.

Yeasted Banana Bread

2009-09-07T12:15:00.001-07:00

1/2 c. warm water
2 T. yeast
5 c. whole spelt flour
3 c. white spelt flour
1 c. milk, soy milk, or water
1/4 c. canola oil
1/3-1/2 cup honey
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. ripe mashed banana
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Proof yeast in warm water. Combine flours, add remaining ingredients except nuts, mixing occasionally. Mix until a dough is formed, add the nuts. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. The dough will be slightly sticky.
Cover and let rise until double, about 1 1/2 hours. Shape into loaves or braid. Allow to rise till doubled. 45 min. - 1 hour. (If desired, brush with beaten egg) Preheat oven to 350. Bake loaves for about half an hour until golden.

Mango Coconut Sorbet

2009-08-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

6 cups of peeled, pitted mango flesh. The mangoes should be very ripe and sweet. (5-8 mangoes, depending on the size) *
1 cup coconut cream
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup tequila

Puree mango in the food processor. Add remaining ingredients and blend until combined. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Place in a container in the freezer. You may need to defrost for 15 minutes before serving.

* It may sound like 6 cups of mango is a lot, but when you puree it it's reduced to about 4. It fits in a 1 quart ice cream maker.

Butternut Squash and Leek Quiche

2009-08-14T04:31:00.000-07:00

1 medium butternut squash
1 medium leek (about one and half cups sliced)
1 T. olive oil
salt

1 cup fresh spinach leaves
1/2 c. grated feta cheese
4 eggs
1 cup milk
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425. Peel the squash, cut in half, remove the seeds, and slice into 1/4 inch thick slices. Slice the leek. Place the squash and leek in a baking dish and sprinkle with salt and olive oil. Roast for about 45 min. until tender and squash is browned at the edges.
Lower oven temperature to 350. Allow squash and leek to cool slightly. Rinse the spinach and remove any tough stems, chop roughly. Arrange half the squash and leek in a casserole dish (about 12 x8 inch). Place the spinach on top and sprinkle with half the feta cheese. Layer the remaining squash and leek on top and sprinkle with the remaining feta cheese. Whisk the eggs and milk together and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the quiche. Bake for about 40 minutes until the egg has set and puffed and the quiche is slightly brown.

Easy Date and Walnut Treat

2009-08-14T04:26:00.000-07:00

This is a great snack for parties and on variety trays.

Dry dates (eg. Amri)
Walnut halves

Cut the dates, lengthwise down one side. Remove the pit and insert a walnut half in the space where the pit was. It should protrude outside the date, leaving the curly edges of the walnut visible.

Delicious and easy!

Vanilla Cardamom Peach Pie

2009-08-14T03:37:00.000-07:00

1 recipe for plain pie crust with a top (or partial top) crust

5 cups peeled, sliced peaches (about 6-8 large peaches)
1/2 vanilla bean
1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom
3 T. flour
2/3 cup splenda
1egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350.
Roll out half the pie dough and place in a deep nine inch pie plate (or ten inch tart pan.) Brush the crust with the beaten egg.
Split vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. Mix the vanilla seeds, cardamom, flour, and splenda. Combine mixture with the peaches and pour into the crust. Place the top crust over the peaches and cut slits in it (or create a lattice top or some other decoration.) Pinch the crusts together. Brush the top of the pie with the remaining egg. Bake for 45 min. until the pie is browned. and juice from the filling is bubbling.
Serve warm.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2009-08-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

1 1/3 cups spelt flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2/3 tsp. salt
1 1/3 tsp. baking powder
1 1/3 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup + 2 T. canola oil
1 cup honey
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups finely shredded, unpeeled, zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9x13 pan with pam. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
In a separate bowl, beat the oil and the honey, add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Fold in the zucchini and pour into the pan.

Bake for 30-35 min, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool and glaze with Raspberry Glaze.

*Alternately, you can use a bundt pan and bake for 40-45 min.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2009-08-13T12:44:00.001-07:00

2 eggs
3/4 cup granulated splenda
1 cup cream
2 cups milk
1/2 cup natural smooth peanut butter*
1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 -3/4 cup milk chocolate, chopped into chunks. (sized according to your liking.)
1/2 cup salted, roasted peanuts, papery skins removed and split into halves (optional)

Beat eggs until foamy, add cream and beat until thick. Add remaining ingredients except chocolate chips and peanuts and beat.

Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Add chocolate chips and peanuts in the last five minutes of freezing. (Or if your ice cream is still soft after freezing, mix them in then.)

Put container in the freezer for 2 hours before serving. (If freezing for longer, you may have to defrost in the fridge for half an hour before scooping.)

* If your peanut butter is salt free, add 1/3 tsp. salt

Pumpkin Coconut Pie

2009-08-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

This recipe is adapted from the recipe on Libby's canned pumpkin.

3/4 cup splenda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1.5 cups coconut milk
2 eggs
1 (9 inch) deep dish unbaked pie crust or hazelnut crust*

Mix all ingredients except eggs. Beat eggs until stiff and pale and fold into mixture.** Pour batter into the pie crust. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes until the pie is slightly browned and set.

* If using the hazelnut crust, you may want to prebake for 10 minutes to give the hazelnuts a toasted flavor.
** You can eliminate this step and just mix the eggs in with the remaining ingredients. The resulting pie will be a little denser and flatter. (Can be put into a shallow 9 inch pie plate.)

Cheese Cake

2009-08-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

2 eggs
1 T. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
1 container 9% Israeli style white cheese (250 gram)
2 containers 9% sour cream (200 ml each)
3/4 cup splenda, divided
1 plain pie crust or sweet chocolate pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare crust and place in a 9 inch pie plate. Prebake crust for 10 min.
Mix 9% cheese, eggs yolks, flour, baking powder, 1/4 cup splenda, 1 tsp. vanilla in a bowl. In a separate bowl beat egg whites with 1/4 cup splenda. Combine the two gently. Pour mixture into prepared crust and bake for 20-25 minutes, until set and golden. Do not allow to burn. Remove from oven and let cool. The center of the cake will fall.
Mix the sour cream, remaining 1/4 cup of splenda, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Pour on top of cake and smooth to cover entire layer. Bake for 10 min. until just set.

Quinoa Salad

2009-08-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

1 cup raw quinoa
1 large tomato
1 green onion
1/4 cup black olives
olive oil
lemon juice
salt and pepper

optional: feta cheese, coriander, parsley

Instructions:
Cook quinoa in 2 cups of water with a quarter teaspoon of salt. (bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 min.) Let cool.
Chop tomato, slice green onion, and olives. Mix with quinoa (add fresh parsley or coriander and/or feta cheese if desired.) Season with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Serve at room temperature.

Fig and Goat Cheese Salad

2009-08-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

I don't have exact measurements for this one.

Fresh Spinach Leaves
2 Ripe Mangoes
1 Bunch of Grapes (green or purple)
6 Ripe Figs
Sainte Maure Goat Cheese
Salted and Roasted Pecans

Dressing:
2 T. Olive Oil
2 T. Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. mustard

Wash spinach leaves and remove stems. Tear into bite-sized pieces. Cut the mangoes into cubes, halve the grapes, quarter the figs, and toss with the spinach in a large bowl. Shred the cheese and toss cheese and pecans into or on top of salad. Mix dressing ingredients and pour over salad just before serving.
Adjust amounts to taste!!!

Coconut Rum Raisin Ice Cream

2009-08-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

2 eggs
3/4 cup granulated splenda
1 cup cream
1 1/2 cup milk
1 14 oz can coconut cream
2 T. rum

3/4 cup dark raisins, soaked in hot water and drained.

Beat eggs until foamy, add cream and beat until thick. Add remaining ingredients except raisins and beat.

Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Place raisins in the freezer while the ice cream is freezing so they will not raise the ice cream temperature when added.

Add raisins in the last five minutes of freezing. (Or if your ice cream is still soft after freezing, mix them in then.)

Put container in the freezer for 2 hours before serving. (If freezing for longer, you may have to defrost in the fridge for half an hour before scooping.)

Easy Spelt Olive Bread

2009-07-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

Yields two loaves

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c. warm water
2 T. yeast
5 cups whole grain spelt flour
1/8 c. olive oil
1 cup green olives, sliced
1 T. salt

Combine yeast and warm water and let sit for 10 min. Add olive oil and olives to the yeast mixture and stir. Add the flour a cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add salt. Knead dough until smooth and elastic. Place in a bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about an hour. Punch down the dough and shape into two loaves. Either place in two greased loaf pans, or place free form on a baking paper lined cookie sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 fahrenheit.
Bake for half an hour until bread is brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Enjoy!

Fresh Fig Tart

2009-07-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 pie crust or sweet tart crust recipe

14 ripe, sweet figs
2 eggs
1/2 cup ground almonds or walnuts
2 T. cherry liquor
1 T. amaretto (or 1/2 tsp. almond extract)
1-2 T. agave nectar, optional
3 T. apricot jelly

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pie crust, place in a 10 inch tart pan and prebake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

Process only 4 of the figs, until they become a smooth paste. Add the remaining ingredients, except the apricot jelly and blend until smooth. (Add the agave nectar depending on how sweet your figs are, and how sweet you want the tart to be.)

Pour the mixture into the prepared crust.

Cut the remaining figs into quarters and place cut side up on top of the filling mixture.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden and firm. Allow to cool slightly.

Melt the apricot jelly, and gently brush the jelly onto the tart.

Serve warm.

Purple Cabbage, Apricot, and Pine Nut Salad

2009-01-07T06:59:00.001-08:00

A vibrant, colorful salad, with a delicious mix of flavors.

4 cups purple cabbage, shredded
3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 green onions, sliced

dressing:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T. olive oil

Mix all ingredients together in a big bowl and serve.

The salad becomes soggy after about half an hour, so if you want to prepare it in advance, don't dress it until shortly before you serve it.

* I just approximate all the ingredients, so adjust things to your taste.

Banana Apple Bread

2009-01-07T06:36:00.000-08:00

A naturally sugar free banana bread recipe. This cake is very moist.

1 1/2 cups mashed banana
3 c. finely chopped apples
2 c. oat flour*
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts
2 eggs
1/2 c. oil**
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray. Combine ingredients and pour into pan. Bake for 40 minutes.

* Oat flour is just oats ground very finely. You can substitute another kind of flour if necessary.
** You can substitute half of the oil with applesauce, the cake is a little more moist, but good.

Pecan Spice Cookies

2009-01-07T05:27:00.000-08:00

These cookies are gluten free, sugar free, vegan, and delicious! They are soft and chewy, with a little crunch from the embedded pecan.

Ingredients:

2 cups pecans + approximately 1 additional cup
12 soft dates, pitted
2 T carob powder*
1 T cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
1 T vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Put two cups of pecans in the food processor. Process until finely ground. Add remaining ingredients, except additional pecans and blend for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth with no chunks.

Roll the mixture into 3/4 inch balls. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (They can be fairly close together as they do not expand.) Take the remaining pecan halves and press them into the balls, flattening the balls in the process.

Bake for 12 minutes, until the pecans are lightly toasted and the cookies slightly firm to the touch.

Remove from the oven and let cool.

Store in a covered container.

* You can substitute cocoa powder for the carob powder, but as cocoa powder is bitter, you might want to add a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup.

Potato, Spinach, and Leek Casserole

2008-03-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

3 large potatoes
200 grams fresh spinach leaves
1 leek
200 grams crumbled feta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
nutmeg
thyme
salt and pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
Scrub the potatoes (leave the peels on), and slice thinly. Put them in a pot of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 min, or until tender.
Wash the spinach, remove the stems and tear into pieces. Microwave or steam for 2 minutes, until wilted.
Slice the leek thinly and saute in olive oil until caramelized (about 20 min.)
Lay half the potatoes on the bottom of an 8 inch glass casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slice half the feta into thin slices and layer on top. Spread half the spinach on top of the cheese, and sprinkle with thyme and nutmeg. Spread half the leek on top of the spinach. Repeat the layers. Mix the eggs with the milk and pour them over the casserole. Sprinkle the parmesan evenly across the top.
Bake for 4o minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy!

Pear Pie

2008-02-05T11:12:00.000-08:00

Filling Ingredients:
10-12 green pears.
2 T. water
1/4 cup flour
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon juice

Crust Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter (or margarine)
3 tbsp. cold water
1 egg

Garnish:
Cream de Cassis liquor

Filling Instructions:
Peel, core, and quarter the pears. Put them in a pot with the water. Cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft. (about one and half to two hours). Drain excess liquid. Puree a third of the pears. Stir in remaining pears, flour, and vanilla, and lemon juice.

Crust Instructions:
Sift together flour and salt. Cut in butter or margarine with a knife to form a coarse meal. Add the water and HALF the egg, mixing with a fork to form a ball. Roll out dough in circular piece 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick on a lightly floured board. Place in a 8-inch or 9-inch pie plate; trim excess. Reserve some dough for a topping.

Assembly:
Preheat oven to 350.
Spoon filling mixture into crust.
Roll out remaining dough, cut into shapes (either strips or a spiral, or just fold over the edge of the bottom crust), and place on top of pear mixture, (if you want to make a full top crust, make 1 1/2 times the amount of dough, then roll it out, cut holes into it to allow steam to escape, and place on top.) Brush the top crust with the remaining half of the egg.
Bake at 350 for half an hour or until golden brown.
Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Drizzle a teaspoon of creme de cassis over each piece at serving time.

Enjoy!

Rye, Spelt, and Oat Challah

2008-02-05T10:36:00.000-08:00

If you want to make this recipe purely sugar free, you can try to substitute honey for the sugar that is used to activate the yeast.
If you don't have white spelt flour available, you can increase the amount of whole spelt flour, but you may have to play with the flour/water ratio.
If you substitute whole wheat and white flour for the whole grain and white spelt flour, you'll need to add some more water.
I often freeze the dough before braiding it. To use, defrost, let come to room temperature, braid and continue with the recipe.

Ingredients:

4.5 tsp. dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2-3/4 cup honey
1 cup water
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 3/4 T. salt
2 cups whole rye flour
2 cups oatmeal
4 cups whole spelt flour
1 cup of white spelt flour

For the top:
egg
sesame seeds

Directions:

In a small bowl mix 3/4 cup warm water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and leave for about 10 minutes. Stir and leave for a few more minutes until it begins foaming.
In a large bowl mix the eggs, honey, water, and oil. Add the yeast and stir. Add the flours a few cups at a time, stirring after each addition. Add the salt. Knead the dough for about 15-20 minutes. The dough will be very dense, sticky, and a little tough. Add more flour if neccessary, but try not to add too much unless you really need to, the more flour you add, the drier the bread will be.
Cover the dough and let it rise until it's tripled in size, it will take several hours. (I usually refrigerate it overnight and in the morning it's finished rising.) Punch down the dough and let it rise again, until double. (Another 2 hours or so.)
Divide the dough into 4-5 pieces. Braid each section and place it on a piece of baking paper on a baking pan. Cover the dough and let rise a third time, for about an hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brush the loaves with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until they are lightly brown on top and bottom, and sound slightly hollow when tapped with your fingers.

Yield: 4-5 medium loaves

Enjoy!

Wheat-free Non-dairy Cornbread

2008-01-16T08:22:00.000-08:00

The cornbread goes well with the turkey chili.
It's not a sweet muffin kind of thing, goes well with savory dishes.
For a dairy version replace the non-dairy creamer with milk.
You can replace the spelt flour with whole wheat flour, but you'll need to add a tablespoon or two of liquid.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups cornmeal
3/4 cup whole spelt flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/3cups non-dairy creamer or soy milk
2 eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 cup frozen corn, defrosted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°.
Combine the meal, flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon juice, creamer, olive oil, and honey.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until all ingredients are moistened. Add the corn and stir. Grease two small loaf pans and fill 3/4 full. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until browned and firm.

When cool, remove from the pans. Slice just before serving so it doesn't dry out.

Enjoy!

Turkey Chili

2008-01-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

This recipe is medium hot, you can add more chili pepper flakes if you like it hotter, or less if you like it mild.
The ingredients are very flexible. You can use a different kind of bean, or a mixture, or less beans. You can add more peppers, or corn, etc.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground turkey
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 (800 gram) can crushed tomatoes
3/4 T. chili pepper flakes
3/4 T. cumin
1 T. dried basil
1 T. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups cooked black beans (or substitute canned, and add less salt)

Garnish:
chopped cilantro
cubed avocado

Directions:

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add the turkey and cook until browned.
Add the remaining ingredients except beans. Simmer for ten minutes, then add the beans and simmer for an additional 10 min.
Serve in bowls and top with the garnishes.

Enjoy!

Date Balls

2008-01-05T10:15:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from my friend Jodi, but I've changed it a little.
It's easy, natural, and delicious!

Ingredients:

500 grams dry dates
1 cup yellow raisins
1/4 cup shredded coconut
2 T. peanut butter
1 T. tehina paste
1 T. carob powder
1 cup walnuts, chopped
extra shredded coconut

Directions:

Soak the raisins in hot water and then drain. Pit the dates. Combine dates, raisins, and coconut in the food processor. Process until mixed. Add peanut butter, tehina paste, and carob powder. Blend until smooth, but do not allow to become a paste. Add the chopped nuts and mix. (You can do it in the processor, but try not to let the nuts get crushed too small.)
Shape the mixture into 3/4 inch balls and roll in the extra coconut shavings.
Refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Basic Tomato Sauce

2008-01-02T12:33:00.000-08:00

Great for pasta, lasagna, pizza, and in recipes.

I make large batches of this sauce and freeze it in small containers. Then I just defrost it in the microwave as needed.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 cans of crushed tomatoes (800 grams each)
260 grams of tomato paste
1 T. dried basil
1 T. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt (to taste)
1/4 tsp. pepper (to taste)
1/2 tsp. chili pepper flakes (to taste), or a few drops of Tabasco sauce

Directions:

Saute the onion in a little olive oil. When soft, add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Enjoy!

Salmon Lasagna

2007-12-13T11:44:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
1 onion
300 grams of frozen spinach
250 grams white cheese (Israeli style)
2 cups tomato sauce (chunky, not liquidy)
9 lasagna noodles
3/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cups smoked salmon (not lox) or fresh cooked salmon, flaked.

Directions
Preheat oven to 400
1. Chop the onion. Saute. Add the spinach to the pan and saute until it is defrosted and no longer wet. Remove from the flame and let cool slightly. Add the white cheese and mix well.
2. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package instructions.
3. Spread two tablespoons of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan.
Lay 3 noodles down. Top with 1 cup of sauce and spread with the spinach mixture.
Lay 3 more noodles down in the other direction. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella. Lay the mushrooms and salmon on top of the cheese and sprinkle with half the parmesan.
Lay the last 3 noodles on top of the cheese in the other direction. Spread with the remaining cup of sauce and sprinkle with the mozzarella and parmesan.
4. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the cheese on top is melted and golden.
5. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Latkes

2007-12-13T11:34:00.000-08:00

Basic Potato Latkes

Ingredients:
4 large potatoes (red ones)
1 onion
2 eggs
1/4 c. bread crumbs
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Olive oil for frying

Directions:

Grate potatoes and onions.
Combine all ingredients except oil.
Put just enough oil in a large frying pan to coat the bottom.
Heat.
Add spoonfuls of potato mixture to the pan and fry for about five minutes before flipping. Then continue cooking for another few minutes until done. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture. If necessary add oil to the pan between batches.

Apple Pie

2007-11-19T10:19:00.000-08:00

I use Hermon apples. (An Israeli variety.) Any sweet red apple with a yellow flesh is good.

Filling Ingredients:
8 small sweet apples
4 small Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. allspice

Crust Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. white spelt flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter (or margarine)
1/4 cup cold water
1 egg lightly beaten, optional

Filling Instructions:
Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Put them in a pot with the water. Cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and brown. (about an hour and a half).
Stir remaining ingredients into apples.

Crust Instructions:
Place flour and salt in food processor. Pulse to mix. Add butter or margarine and pulse until butter is cut into small pieces. Add water and pulse until mixture is crumbly, but don't allow it to come together in a ball. Remove from food processor and form into a ball. You can refrigerate for half an hour to make it easier to roll. Roll out dough in circular piece 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick on a lightly floured board. Place in a 9-inch pie plate; trim excess. Reserve some dough for a topping.

Assembly:
Preheat oven to 350.
If desired, brush crust with egg. (This will keep the crust from getting soggy.) Spoon filling mixture into crust.
Roll out remaining dough, cut into shapes (either strips for a lattice top, a spiral, or a full top with slits to allow steam to escape), and place on top of apples. Brush crust with egg. (Optional, but gives it a shiny look.)
Bake at 350 for45 min. until golden brown.
Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Serve warm.
Enjoy!