Banana-date Cake
Ingredients & Directions 2/3 c Nonfat milk 1 Egg white 2 ts Vinegar 1 1/4 c Mashed very ripe bananas 2 1/3 c Flour (about 3) 1 2/3 c Sugar 3/4 c Pureed Dates (replaces 3/4 1 1/4 ts Baking powder Cup shortening) 1 1/4 ts Baking soda 1 ts Vanilla 1 ts Salt 1/2 c Chopped walnuts, optional 2 Eggs Powdered Sugar, optional Mix nonfat milk and vinegar and let stand until thickened. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into mixing bowl. Stir to blend. Lightly beat eggs and egg white. Add to flour mixture with bananas, Pureed Dates, soured milk, vanilla and nuts. Stir just until blended. Pour into 12-cup bundt pan sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray. Bake at 350 degrees F. 45 to 55 minutes or until cake tests done. Remove to wire rack to cool. If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve. Makes 16 servings. Note: In place of nonfat milk and vinegar, substitute 2/3 cup buttermilk if desired. Banana-Date Cake- Pureed Dates -replaces 3/4 cup shortening. Each serving, without walnuts or powdered sugar, contains about: 212 calories, 198 mg sodium, 27 mg cholesterol, 1 gram fat, 48 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, .33 gram fiber, 4% calories from fat. Compare to Banana-Date Cake made with shortening, no dates: Each serving, without walnuts, contains about: 257 calories, 197 mg sodium,27 mg cholesterol, 9 grams fat, 40 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, .09 gram fiber, 33% calories from fat. Optional walnuts, per serving, contains about: 24 calories, .37 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.3 grams fat, .75 gram carbohydrates, .5 gram protein, .17 gram fiber. Yields 16
Oatmeal (bean) Cookies
Ingredients & Directions 1 Heaping cup of cooked white -beans; (w/ liquid), pureed -if desired 1/2 c Brown sugar; packed 1/4 c White sugar 1 Egg beater or other -substitute 1/2 ts Vanilla 1/2 ts Cinnamon 1 1/4 c Whole wheat flour; (use -all-purpose flour if you -prefer) 1/2 ts Baking soda 1/2 ts Salt; (optional) 1 1/2 c Rolled oats Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream beans with sugars. Add egg beater and vanilla. Stir in flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, then add the rolled oats. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a lightly Pam-sprayed cookie sheet and flatten slightly (this is easier if you wet your hand first). Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies seem solid and the bottom edges look a bit browned. Remove to rack and cool. Makes about 2 dozen. Notes: I substituted 1/4 c. soy flour for 1/4 c. of the whole wheat flour and added 1/4 c. of oat bran. The batter still seemed a little soft, so I threw in an extra handful of oats, too (I guess this could be avoided by draining the beans at the outset). Since I used beans that I’d soaked and cooked myself (with no salt or seasonings), I had to add quite a bit of salt–more than the 1/2 teaspoon called for–to make up for what’s usually in the butter (a requirement of my personal taste, not of the recipe). Regular canned beans probably have enough salt in them already, but you should, of course, adjust the salt level to suit your own taste and needs. This is based on the Quaker Oats recipe, which I cut in half. Simply double the recipe to make a larger batch. Yields 1 servings
Carrot-walnut Bread
Ingredients & Directions 1 1/2 c Unbleached flour; sifted 1 c Sugar 1 ts Baking soda 3/4 c Cooking oil 1/2 ts Cinnamon; ground 2 lg Eggs 1/4 ts Nutmeg; ground 1 1/2 c Carrots; pared; shredded 1/4 ts Salt 1/2 c Walnuts; chopped Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the sugar, oil and eggs in a mixing bowl. Beat, with an electric mixer set on medium speed, for 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Stir in the carrots and walnuts. Pour the batter into a greased 9 X 5 X 3-inch loaf pan and bake, in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 1 hour or until a cake tester or wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, remove from the pan and finish cooling on the wire rack. Yields 4 servings
Sourdough Starter
Ingredients & Directions 2 c Flour 2 c Water 1 Yeast 1/4 c Sugar 1 c Milk 1 c Flour SOURDOUGH STARTER Combine flour, yeast and water. Let stand in a warm place at least 12 hours. Add: sugar, milk, and flour. Mix thouroughly. Set in refridgerator until ready to use in recipe. After taking batter for use in recipes “feed” the remaining batter with the same amounts of sugar, milk, and flour stated above. Yields 4 servings
Quick Sourdough Starter
Ingredients & Directions 2 c Flour 1 tb Yeast (1 package) 1 1/2 c Water 105 – 115 deg. F. In a large bowl mix the yeast with the water and allow to proof for about 10 minutes. If the yeast doesn’t start to puff up and bubble, discarded and start over with fresh yeast. Sprinkle the flour into the yeast mixture and beat into a thick batter. The batter doesn’t have to be too smooth as the action of the yeast will break down any lumps. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm (80-85 F or 25-30 C) place for about 24 hours, or until it is nice and frothy. You can use the starter right away or let it age for up to 3 days longer to develope a richer flavor. Store starter in fridge between uses and use or replenish every two weeks. You can use any flour or combination of flours to make the starter; some rye and buckwheat added to all-purpose makes a nice blend. To replenish the starter: mix equal parts of water and flour (about a cup of each is good) and add to the starter at least every two weeks. Let the starter age in a warm place for 6 to 24 hours, then use or return to the fridge. From Yields 1 Starter
Cheese Biscuits
Ingredients & Directions 2 c Bisquick 1/2 c Cold water 3/4 c Sharp grated cheddar cheese 2 tb Butter — melted with 1/2 ts Garlic powder 1/2 ts Parsley flakes 1/4 ts Italian seasonings Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix bisquick, water and cheese. Drop by large spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. After baking, while still hot, brush on melted butter mixed with garlic powder, parsley flakes and Italian seasoning. Serve hot. You may also substitute soda water or ginger ale for the water. Yields 1 Servings
Jello Cookies
Ingredients & Directions 1 1/2 c Butter or margerine 1 c Sugar 1 pk Jello flavor of your choice 1 ts Vanilla 1 ts Baking powder 4 c Flour Cream buter; add sugar, jello, egg, vanilla, and dry ingredients. Should be fairly stiff. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Roll out like you would any other sugar cookie and cut shapes. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes at 375 (keep a close eye on them). Decorate with colored sugar or glaze. Yields 1 Servings
