A Healthier Fruit Tart With Almond Pie Crust

A Healthier Fruit Tart With Almond Pie Crust
Kay Quealy - Salt Lake City, UT

Ingredients

For filling:

1 cup yogurt cream (see recipe below)

Mixed fresh fruit, for example: 1 banana, 1 cup grapes, 1 orange (sectioned), 1/2 cup blueberries 

4 Tbsps organic amber agave syrup for glazing

For crust:

1 cup, plus 2 Tbsps organic almond meal

2 sticks organic sweet butter, room temperature1/3 cup organic evaporated cane juice crystals

2 1/2 cups organic barley flour

1/2 cup organic whole-wheat flour

1 organic, free-range egg, beaten

1 tsp organic almond or vanilla extract

For yogurt cream:

1 cup low-fat (2%) Greek Style yogurt, drained

4 Tbsps organic maple syrup

Directions

These occasion-worthy tarts are a great excuse to add agave syrup to your pantry; agave syrup is an all-natural, minimally processed sweetener you can also use for pancakes, waffles, coffee and tea.

Makes two tarts.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

To make tart shells: 

1. Butter two individual tart shells.

2. Using a wooden spoon or the paddle attachment of your mixer, cream together butter and cane juice crystals until just blended. Add almond meal, flours, beaten egg and vanilla or almond extract and mix until well blended.

3. Divide dough in half. Gently press into tart shells. Bake for 25 minutes, or until shells are golden brown. Cool before filling, or freeze for future use.

To make yogurt cream: 

1. Combine yogurt and maple syrup in a small mixing bowl.

2. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.

To assemble tarts: 

1. Spread 1/2 cup yogurt cream in each tart crust. Arrange fruits over yogurt cream.

2. Drizzle tarts with agave syrup and chill to set.

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 256 calories; 12 g fat ( 6 g sat, 4 g mono); 32 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 3 g fiber; 12 mg sodium; 193 mg potassium.

Jamie's Cranberry Spinach Salad

Jamie's Cranberry Spinach Salad

Kay Quealy - Salt Lake City, UT

I tried this salad recipe and really liked the dressing. The salad is nothing unique, but the dressing is great. Hope you like it.

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter 

3/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

1 pound spinach, rinsed and torn into bite

-size pieces

1 cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1/2 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons minced onion

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

 

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook and stir almonds in butter until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and let cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach with the toasted almonds and cranberries. 
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and vegetable oil. Toss with spinach just before serving.

Linguine with Spring Vegetables

Linguine with Spring Vegetables
Kay Quealy - Salt Lake City, UT

Ingredients
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 medium onion, minced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into strips
1 pound fresh, thin asparagus, sliced diagonally
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
3 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed or 1 cup broccoli florets
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped, or 2-3 teaspoons dried
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound linguine, cooked al dente and drained
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Cooking Instructions
Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the oinon and garlic until limp.  Add the mushrooms, zucchini, carrot and asparagus.  Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and the cream and cook for several minutes to reduce the liquid.  Stir in the green onions, peas and basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cook for one minute more.

Add the hot pasta and the cheese to the skillet and mix well.  Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Tomato Vegetable Soup

Tomato Vegetable Soup

Kay Quealy - Salt Lake City, UT

 

Bon Appetite magazine, September 1978

This is one of my favorite soup recipes. It sounds complicated by really isn't. The veggies you add are up to you, add what you like. But the base is spectacular, and it can be made in big quantities and frozen!

 

Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons oil

1/2 C chopped parsley

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 ounces ham, chopped

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon thyme

8 medium tomatoes  

OR  1  28-oz. and 1  15 oz. can

  Italian plum tomatoes, drained

3 tablespoons tomato paste

4 C chicken or beef stock/broth

1 teaspoon sugar

Add any of the following:

2 celery stalks, cut into chunks

3 leeks, white part only, coarsely chopped

2 large carrots, sliced

1 large potato, peeled and chopped

1 10-oz package Italian green beans, thawed

2 small zucchini, sliced

1 C cauliflower florets

1 1/2 C baby lima beans 

OR red kidney beans, 

a combination, partially cooked

1 C peas

1 small head cabbage, cut into strips,

steamed slightly, drained and 

squeezed dry

1/2 C sliced mushrooms

1 pound meatballs (no larger

than 1 inch in diameter),

cooked and drained

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese as garnish

Instructions

Heat oil in Dutch over or large kettle over medium-high heat. Add next 6 ingredients and saute until onion is soft and golden. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, stock and sugar. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Cool slightly.

Place in batches in blender or food processor and puree. Return to pan, taste and add additional seasonings if necessary (I usually add about a cup of water or red wine at this point.) Base may be frozen at this point.

Add the remaining ingredients as desired (or whatever you have that you like in the way of veggies), starting with those that take longer to cook, such as potatoes and carrots. When partially cooked, add other ingredients. 

Serving

Be careful NOT to overcook the vegetables, they should have a crisp-tender quality. Serve hot, sprinkled with freshly ground Parmesan cheese. 

Enchilada Chicken

Enchilada Chicken

Kay Quealy - Salt Lake City, UT

Here is my favorite crock-pot recipe, but it makes a lot so perhaps best for a crowd.

Ingredients

10 to 12 boneless chicken breasts

salt and pepper

1 package (Shillings) powdered enchilada sauce

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

1/2 C water OR 3/4 C white wine

2 C grated Jack cheese, to be added later

1/2 C sour cream, for garnish

1/4 C sliced green onions, for garnish

1 small can sliced ripe black olives, for garnish

Instructions

Mix the enchilada sauce, tomato paste and water or wine for sauce, set aside.  (I often make double of the sauce so we have plenty.)

Salt and pepper each chicken breast as you layer chicken and sauce into the crock pot.

HINT: put a layer of sauce down first.

Cook on low (200 degrees) for about 6 hours.

Remove the chicken to a plate while turning the heat to high and adding the Jack cheese.

Put the chicken back into the sauce.

Serving

Serve over white rice with the garnishes of sour cream, green onions and olives.

(Served this way the rice will need that extra sauce I suggested.)

Cranberry Muffins

Cranberry Muffins
Kay Quealy - Salt Lake City, UT

One of my favorite holiday things is to make. E N J O Y !

Makes 16 to 18 muffins.


Ingredients

2 cups flour

1/2  cup sugar

1  teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3  cup fresh orange juice

2 eggs, slightly beaten

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cups walnuts, chopped

1 1/4 cups cranberries, chopped

2 teaspoons grated orange rind

Instructions
Preheat over to 400 degrees. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Make a well and pour in orange juice, eggs and butter.

Mix well. Fold in remaining ingredients.

Pour into greased muffin cups 3/4 full.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

Pumpkin Cornbread

Pumpkin Cornbread

Kay Quealy - Salt Lake City, UT

This recipe is originally from The Pittsburg Post-Gazette.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 3/4 teaspoon salt

1 medium onion, finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup yellow cornmeal 2 tablespoons honey

2/3 C all-purpose flour 1 C pumpkin puree

1 tablespoon baking powder 2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 C buttermilk

Cooking Instructions
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute' for 5 minutes or until softened and golden brown. Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Combine honey, pumpkin puree, eggs, buttermilk and onion in another bowl. Place remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a 9-by-9 inch square baking pan. Place in oven until butter is melted. Swirl pan to coat with butter. Pour melted butter into pumpkin mixture. (You may want to use another creative method to butter the pan, but this works too.)(not too much stirring!) Pour batter into buttered baking pan, smooth top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Stir to combine. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients. Stir just until evenly moistened

As Julia Child would say, Bon Appetite!