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Yummy Chocolate Cake

 

“Eating great food – no matter how simple or elaborate – should be one of life’s greatest pleasures, not an endless guilt trip.” – Author unknown

This one of our favorite quotes and motto for healthy eating.

With Valentine’s Day this week, we thought we would share with you one of our favorite chocolate indulgences that won’t take you on an endless guilt trip. The Yummy Chocolate Cake with Decadent Chocolate Ganache is quick and easy to prepare. And topped with fresh raspberries or Sue’s Easy Raspberry Jam and real whipped cream makes for a perfect Valentine’s presentation.

Enjoy!

 

Yummy Chocolate Cake

• 2 Cups soft white wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
• 2/3 Cup Cocoa
• 1 ¼ tsp. Baking soda
• ¼ tsp. Baking powder
• 1 2/3 Honey Granules
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. chocolate extract
• 1 Cup Mayonnaise (Healthy kind without added sugar and chemicals)
• 1 1/3 Cups water

Spray 2-9 inch layer cake pans or a 13×9 pan and preheat oven to 350°. Mix first 4 dry ingredients and set aside.

In large bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat next 4 ingredients for 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. At low speed, beat in mayonnaise.

Add flour mixture in three additions, alternately with water, beginning
and ending with flour. Pour into pans. Bake in 350° oven 25-30 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.

For layer cake, cool in pans 10 minutes, and remove layers to cool on racks. Frost after cool.

For 13 x 9 inch pan, you may choose to frost in pan. Let cool. Pour prepared ganache evenly over top of cake. Let cool completely until ganache has firmed up slightly. May even chill for easy slicing.

 

Chocolate Ganache

• 8 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature

Place chocolate in medium, heatproof bowl. Place cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Pour over chocolate and let stand until chocolate has softened, about 5 minutes.

Add butter and stir until smooth. Let cool slightly before using.

To make Layered Chocolate Cake Dessert

– Chill several hours, then whip.
– Fill disposable bag or frosting piping bag and pipe between layers
– Layer sliced strawberries between cake, top with whipped cream

 

Easy Raspberry Jam

Using Pomona’s Universal Pectin allows you to use as much, or as little, sweetener as you want in your homemade jams and jellies since the gelling process does not depend on the sugar content but on the pectin itself. You can decide the type of sweetener as well, rather it be honey, honey granules, or 100% fruit juice, making your jams and jellies much healthier alternatives.

  • 4 cups mashed fruit
  • 1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • ¾ c – 2 cups honey granules
  • 2 teaspoons calcium water
  • 2 teaspoons pectin

Prepare fruit. Measure fruit into a pot. Add the lemon juice and calcium water. Stir well.

In separate bowl, combine honey granules and pectin.

Bring fruit mixture to a full boil.  Add pectin/sugar mixture. Stir vigorously for 1-2 minutes to dissolve pectin and honey granules, while mixture returns to a full boil. Remove from heat.

Jar and can as desired. Or pour into a qt jar and let cool. Once cooled, refrigerate.

 

Easy Shortening Bread

 

With just 4 ingredients this recipe is so easy to make. Soft wheat flour may be used, but rice flour gives this bar an even “shorter” texture.

  • 2 cups freshly milled brown rice flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup sucanat
  • 1 cup chilled salted butter

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and sucanat. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press into a 9 x 9 inch pan. Prick with a fork. Bake in preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes. Cut into squares while warm.

Coconut Rice Pudding with Strawberry-Nectarine Compote

Adapted from Southern Living Magazine April 2018

I don’t believe that rice pudding is particularly a southern dish. In fact its origins come from the royalties of England when rice was expensive and could only be enjoyed by the elite. But today, rice puddings are becoming quite popular. This version is equally delicious served warm or chilled.

  • 2 cups cooked basmati rice
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup coconut milk (I use 1 Tablespoon Coconut butter blended with 1 cup water)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cups honey granules
  • 1 ½ cups of heavy cream, divided
  • 1 large egg

Compote

  • 3 cups quartered strawberries (about 1 quart)
  • 2 cups nectarine wedges, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • ¼ cup honey granules

 

Finely chopped unsalted pistachios, optional

Prepare the pudding: In a large sauté or deep skillet, stir together the cooked rice and whole milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture comes to a boil, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring often, until mixture begins to thicken, about 10 minutes.

Increase heat to medium; stir in prepared coconut milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, honey granules and 1 cup of the heavy cream. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture begins to bubble. Reduce heat to medium low; cook, stirring often, until mixture thickens, about 20 minutes.

Whisk together egg and remaining ½ cup heavy cream. Gradually whisk about ½ cup hot rice mixture into cream mixture; gradually whisk tempered cream mixture into the rest of the rice mixture and cook stirring constantly, until thickened and creamy, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

 

Prepare the compote: Preheat oven to 4000 F. In a large bowl, stir together strawberries, nectarines, melted butter and ¼ cup honey granules. Spread mixture in an even layer on a lightly greased, rimmed baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until strawberries and nectarines are soft, about 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.

To serve – spoon about 3 Tablespoons Compote into each of 8 serving glasses. Top each with about 2/3 cups of pudding. Top each with the additional Compote. Serve warm or chilled. Serve with finely chopped unsalted pistachios if desired.

 

To cook brown rice:

Pressure Cooker

In 4 qt pressure cooker over high heat, combine 1 cup brown rice with 2 cups water and ½ teaspoon salt. Lock lid in place. Bring pressure to second ring on the pressure indicator. Reduce heat to maintain pressure. Cook for 20 minutes. Let pressure naturally release.

Conventional

In 4 qt saucepan over high heat, combine 1 cup brown rice with 2 cups water and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook undisturbed for 50-60 minutes. Remove from heat. Set aside for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

1 cup of dry uncooked rice yields about 2 cups cooked rice.

Millet “Mac and Cheese”

 

Simple but oh so delicious dish. Served hot from the oven, everyone who tasted it thought it was the traditional pasta mac and cheese.

8 x 10 baking dish

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ medium onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
  • 1 cup hulled millet
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 ½ cups water*
  • 1 – 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 8-10 ounces shredded medium cheddar cheese
  • Bread crumbs if desired

In a large skillet pressure cooker, over medium high heat, sauté onions in olive oil and cook until lightly browned. Add oregano and millet and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly until millet is fragrant and lightly toasted.

Add water and salt. Stir. Increase heat to high. Lock pressure lid into place. Bring pressure up to 2nd ring. Reduce heat to maintain pressure. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let pressure naturally release.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 375F.

Once pressure is released, open lid. Add cream cheese and stir until completely melted and incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread half of the millet mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the grated cheese. Spread with the remaining millet mixture and top with the remaining grated cheese. Sprinkle with bread crumbs if desired.

Bake about 15-20 minutes until heated throughout and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Citrus Infused Barley

 

When boiled, barley becomes plump and tender. Adding the peel of any citrus fruit to the water while cooking lends a subtle flavor to the slight nuttiness of the barley.

Makes about 2 ½ cups cooked barley

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • Peel of 1 large lemon, lime or orange, cut in several thin strips
  • 1 cup hulled barley
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • 1 bay leaf, optional
  • ½ – 1 teaspoon salt

In saucepan, over high heat, add olive oil. Add the citrus slices and stir just until fragrant. Stir in barley and cook 1-2 minutes to slightly toast. Stir in water, bay leaf and salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover and cook for about 1 hour. Remove from heat and let sit for about 10-15 minutes to steam. Fluff with a fork and remove any peels.

Drain any excess liquid. Serve or refrigerate for later use. You may want to leave the bay leaves and citrus peels in the barley until ready for use as the flavors will continue to meld and intensify.

Pressure cooker method:

I prefer to use a pressure cooker when cooking grains as it cuts the cooking time down considerably.

In  a 4 or 6 qt pressure cooker, over high heat, add olive oil. Add the citrus slices and stir just until fragrant. Stir in barley and cook 1-2 minutes to slightly toast. Stir in water, bay leaf and salt. Lock pressure lid into place. Bring pressure up to the second indicator ring. Reduce heat to maintain pressure. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let pressure naturally release. Remove lid. Fluff with a fork and remove bay leaf and citrus peels if desired.

Enjoy.

Haitian Oatmeal

 

There is oatmeal and then there is Haitian Oatmeal. The smooth, creamy texture and unique flavor of Haitian oatmeal is more like vanilla pudding than a hot breakfast cereal. It was love at first bite when I was served this special treat on one of my visits to Haiti.  So I made a deal with the cooks. I taught them to make bread; they taught me to make Haitian Oatmeal. Enjoy!

Makes 3-4 servings

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 Tablespoons honey granules
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • 2 star anise, optional*
  • Butter, optional

In a large blender, blend oats and water for about 2 minutes.

Place saucepan on medium heat and allow to get hot. Pour blended oats in to hot pot stirring constantly. Stir in honey granules, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, almond extract and milk. Continue stirring for about 5 minutes and until desired thickness. Stir in butter.

Serve immediately with fresh fruit if desired. Enjoy.

*Some recipes call for star anise. If you want to use star anise. Heat it on low heat in the milk for about 15 minutes. Strain before adding the milk to the above mixture. May also use cinnamon sticks in place of ground cinnamon and heat with the milk.