Un-Fried French Fries

As I've mentioned, we try to eat healthy meals around here so that we can justify the indulgent treats. This is one of our favorite ways to eat something that tastes fattening, but isn't.

Un-Fried French Fries
adapted from In The Kitchen with Rosie
5 large baking potatoes (about 2 3/4 pounds total)
cooking spray
2 large egg whites
1 T Cajun seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice each potato length-wise into quarter-inch by quarter-inch fries (I have an attachment to my apple slicer that makes perfectly shaped fries).
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly spray parchment paper with cooking spray.
Combine egg whites and Cajuns seasoning in a bowl. Add the potato sticks and toss to coat. Pour the coated potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet and spread them out into a single layer (I always make too many, so they are overlapping quite a bit).
Place the baking sheet on the bottom shelf of the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until fries are crispy, turning them every 8-10 minutes with a spatula so they crisp evenly.
Serve immediately.

Being from Utah, we like to serve these with "fry sauce". A simple version consists of equal parts mayonnaise (I use low fat) and ketchup. You can add a little pickle juice or relish. Sometimes we kick it up a notch with barbecue sauce, liquid smoke, chipotle powder or hot pepper sauce.

Almond Poppyseed Muffins

These were the perfect little Sunday Morning pick-me-up. The crunchy sugar coated tops were the bomb.

Almond Poppyseed Muffins
from Betty Crocker cookbook

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 T poppy seed
3 tsp sugar
sliced almonds

Heat oven to 375. Line 12 medium muffin cups with paper baking cups (or spray them very well).
In a large bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, the oil, egg, and almond. Beat in sour cream and milk with a spoon until blended. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, soda, and poppy seed until well blended. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle batter with 3 tsp sugar and the almonds.
Bake 14-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Can be enjoyed hot or cold.

Ristorante della Fontana's Minestrone Soup

Years and years ago, there was a fun Italian restaurant in downtown SLC. They served a seven course Italian dinner, including a Romaine salad you ate with your fingers, a sorbet palate cleanser, pasta, and the tastiest Minestrone soup I've ever had.

I was given this recipe as a newlywed, and was always a bit overwhelmed by the long list of ingredients. This cold winter weather inspired me to cook up a pot.

The long list...well worth it.

1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups diced onion
2 cups diced celery
2 cups diced carrot
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup whole, skinned tomatoes
1 cup french style green beans (I used frozen)
1 cup canned kidney beans
3 t salt
1 1/2 t white pepper
1 1/2 t garlic powder
4 T instant beef bouillon
3 T instant chicken bouillon (I substituted both with vegetable bouillon for my sweet husband)
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
2 t dried oregano
7 cups water
1 cup tomato puree
1/2 cup barley
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup canned garbanzo beans
1 cup macaroni, cooked
1 cup chopped spinach (I used frozen)
grated Parmesan cheese

In large, heavy saucepan, heat olive oil. Saute onions, carrots and celery until onions are translucent. Add diced and whole tomatoes, green beans, kidney beans, salt, pepper, garlic powder, bouillon, basil oregano, water, tomato puree and barley. Simmer 45 minutes.
Stir in peas, garbanzo beans, and pasta. Simmer 15 minutes. Add spinach. Serve hot, sprinkled with cheese.

Mint Chip Chocolate Cookies

I love shortcut baking. Especially around the holidays. This simple cookie recipe starts with a chocolate cake mix (I say the darker, the better). I don't know if the baking chips are seasonal, but if you find some, stock up. They are delicious and festive in cookies, would make a great brownie topper, my girls even stirred some into their hot cocoa when they got home from sledding in the blizzard.

Chocolate Cookies with Mint Crunch Chips
1 chocolate cake mix
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 c oil
2 eggs
1 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips (if you can't find them, any minty chips would work)

Preheat oven to 375.
Mix together cake mix, sugar, oil and eggs. Stir in chips. Drop dough balls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool.

Double Chocolate Bundt Cake

My oldest daughter turns 11 today. She had some friends over for a little get together this weekend.

Who knew that 7 eleven year olds made more noise than the monkey house at the zoo?

Double Chocolate Bundt Cake
from bunny
1 chocolate cake mix
1 small pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
3/4 cup water
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup oil
1 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 10-inch bundt pan with cooking spray and dust with flour. Beat cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, sour cream and oil in large bowl. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into pan. Bake 55-60 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool 15 minutes in pan on wire rack. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Set on serving plate and glaze.

Chocolate Glaze
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 T butter
2 T corn syrup
1-2 tsp hot water

Melt chocolate chips, butter, and corn syrup in saucepan over low heat. Cool about 10 minutes. Stir in hot water, 1 tsp at a time, until consistency of thick syrup. Pour over cooled double chocolate cake.

Chocolate Banana Snacking Cake (Vegan)

I haven't done much vegan baking. I am more comfortable with eggs and butter.
However, this recipe made a delicious, moist cake. Added bonus: no raw egg, so go ahead and lick the spoon.

4 cups flour
2 2/3 cups sugar
1 1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 T baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup oil (I substituted apple sauce...still very moist)
3 cups hot water
2 t vanilla
3 bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 350.
In medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt.
In a large bowl, combine oil/apple sauce, hot water and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Mix just to combine. Add bananas.
Pour batter into greased 9-x-13 inch pan. (If your pan is not very deep, you may want to set aside some batter and make 8 cupcakes or so). Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a tester inserted in the middle of cake comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool in pan on wire rack.
Store leftover cake in refrigerator

Torta Strata

This is a great appetizer. The flavors are delicious and it looks impressive.

The colors are perfect for a holiday gathering!

I clipped the recipe from from a magazine ten years ago or so (I want to say it was an In-Style magazine). Every time I make it, someone requests the recipe.

8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz goat cheese
1/2 cup prepared sun-dried tomato paste (I find this in the Italian section of my local supermarket)
1/3 cup prepared pesto (I like Buitoni, find it in the refrigerated section)
1 T garlic paste
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and goat cheese with electric mixer until smooth.
Evenly divide mixture into three bowls. Add sun-dried tomato paste to one bowl, pesto to the next, and garlic paste to the last bowl. Stir each to combine. Season all three with salt and pepper to taste.
Line a 3-cup straight sided mold (I've used a small spring form pan, a small cereal bowl, ...for this one, I just used a small round gladware container) with dampened cheesecloth, draping excess over rim. Spoon sun-dried tomato mixture into bottom of mold and smooth with spatula. Next add garlic mixture. Smooth with a spatula. Cover garlic mixture with pesto mixture. Press down and smooth the top.
Fold cheesecloth over the top and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least one hour. It can be made a couple days ahead of time and stored well covered in the refrigerator.

To serve, invert mold onto platter and remove cheesecloth.
Enjoy with crackers.