Apple-Huckleberry Torte

This was strictly an experiment ~ apple tortes without sugar or flour!

I've been reading several books dealing with glycemic index and glycemic load, both of which are very important to a diabetic. Not all carbohydrates affect blood sugar and insulin levels in the same way. Some foods can be low in calories, like watermelon, yet spike insulin as if they were a doughnut.

It has been a challenge cooking for George, because he not only wants to control his diabetes but also wants to continue loosing a little weight. (He also has a great appetite and enjoys good food.)

I purchased the book "Glycemic Index Weight Loss" to better understand successful glycemic eating programs. Successful weight loss, as well as eating to improve health and reduce the risk of chronic health conditions, depends on managing blood sugar levels.

I've also learned the value of omega 3 fats ~ the kind in olive oil and fish, flax-meal and nuts. Gary Taubes writes in "Good Calories Bad Calories" that they are necessary ~ it takes fat to loose fat! The omega 3's are an uncoupling agent at the cellular level, 'unlocking it', so that the omega 6 fats can be pulled out. (Taubes book is about the science of nutrition, specifically challenging outdated hypotheses, and is exceptionally good.)

So, the weekend. Dessert. Taste thrills. I wanted apple pie, but made two little Apple-Huckleberry Tortes instead. They are a delicious way to maximize fiber, protein, and fats, with just a drop or two of agave syrup and brown sugar for sweetening.

The crust makes a thick paste, which is pressed into a miniature pie pan:
Coarse ground pecans and almonds mixed with flax-seed meal.
Add a hefty amount of cinnamon, a dash of salt, a little olive oil.
Finely minced raw apple peelings.
A dash of vanilla, a dash of rum flavoring.

The filling is cooked in the microwave for 1 or 2 minutes before pouring into the pan:
3 raw apples, peeled and finely chopped.
Cinnamon, cardamom, fresh-grated nutmeg, fresh lemon or lime juice and huckleberries.
Spoon a layer of huckleberries on the bottom, then mound the slightly cooked apple mixture into the miniature pans.

Sprinkle the top with just a few drops of Agave Syrup. (I made two little tortes, one for George, one for me. Mine had brown sugar sprinkled on top.)
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or so.
You want a firm crust with a filling that will hold it's shape.
Cool on a rack, and cover in plastic wrap while still warm (to hold in moisture).

I served the apple-huckleberry torte with a small scoop of Greek Yogurt. Still warm from the oven, with a robust high-energy crust and a lite filling...we enjoyed it with a cup of oolong tea right before lunch, when we needed an energy boost.

A salad of fresh greens, seaweed salad from the fish market followed an hour later, with a slice or two of avocado, alfalfa sprouts, and chunks of smoked trout. The dressing was olive-oil/balsamic vinegar/fresh limes, minced garlic and a smattering of huckleberries.

I also made oatcakes with a pumpkin pate to spread over the top. I had some extra pumpkin pulp, so mixed it with olive oil, peanut butter, flax-seed meal, currants and pecans. Oatcakes are low on the glycemic index, and make a wonderful mid-morning snack. The pate provides a nutritional boost to these little crackers.

Pumpkin Waffles - An Afternoon Snack

Yes, I'm still using pumpkin! One of my sons came over yesterday, and asked, "What's to eat?" I made him Pumpkin Waffles With Peaches. Here's the waffle recipe:

Pumpkin Waffles:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white flour flour

1/2 cup ground flax seeds

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1 large pinch cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons agave nectar

3/4 cup solid-pack canned pumpkin

1 1/2 cups milk (or soy)

2 tablespoons orange juice

I read one of Annie Proulx's novels this week, "Fine Just The Way It Is". She wrote "The Shipping News" and "Brokeback Mountain". (When a writer gets two of her novels made into films, you know the stories are good.) "Fine Just The Way It Is" is a collection of short stories about life in the West. "Every ranch ...had lost a boy," through rodeo smashups, bad horses, and mishaps out on the range. I was glad the stories were short, as I couldn't put the book down once I started reading. If you know how to handle grief and loss, this is a good book to read. Proulx just leaves you sitting there, stunned.

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

We spent the weekend hunkered down, enjoying hearth and home. George added some more articles to his blog, Baha'i Views, and I cooked some taste-thrills.

This stuffed spaghetti squash was served for dinner last night with Arugula Salad with Orange-Ginger Sauce.

The squash was first roasted whole, then stuffed with chorizo sausage, bread-crumbs, garlic, onions, parsley, and shredded cheese. Then the squash was baked again for 20 minutes. It was light, and so delicious that I had another serving for my breakfast this morning.

We had a few sun-breaks over the weekend. George did some projects out in the yard. He pulled down the last of his green bean plants along the south side of the house.

We went to a Baha'i fireside Saturday night and I brought Pumpkin Cookies. They were so good, so soft and flavorful, that I'll post the ingredients:

4 cups flour
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup oil
2 cups brown sugar
2/3 can Libby's pumpkin (16 oz can)
3 tsp cinnamon nutmeg, fresh ground
2 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
a few butterscotch morsels (top)

I served the little pumpkin cookies with our lunch on Sunday. It was an eclectic blend of east-Indian black mape bean dal, Butternut squash with Moroccan spices, mustard greens, Jasmine rice, and meatballs in a thin molasses-chocolate sauce similar to Mole Sauce.

I used a red-lentil recipe for the dal, which has three processes for the dal: prepare the lentils or beans; simmer a mixture of vegetables for flavorings; and make a flavored sauce. Turmeric, chilies, fresh ginger, garlic and panch phoran provide the spices and flavorings.

The mustard greens grow along the side of the house, and I've been cooking them almost every day, usually in a stir-fry with fresh ground nutmeg. Next year I hope to grow a lot more since they are so easy to prepare and are so nutritious. I stir-fried them with onion, garlic, yellow raisins, huckleberries, and mild chorizo sausage.

After I steamed my squash, I mashed it lightly, adding brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, east-Indian curry, coriander, and paprika. I used pan drippings from the chorizo sausage to make beautiful red patterns on the top of the squash.

The down-side of most east-Indian cooking, though, is that it just doesn't photograph well - so many dark, mushy colors. But, the upside of the cooking I did was the aroma - of sausage and garlic, of pumpkin, coriander, molasses and chocolate, panch phoran, of Jasmine Rice. It made the kitchen smell heavenly all weekend.

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

This is a vegan recipe - no milk or eggs - and it was really a hit with my family. Agave syrup provides the sweetening, which is great for diabetics. Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese and an extra-firm silken tofu provide the first creamy layer, some of which is reserved for the second layer of pumpkin. A bit of rum flavoring, cinnamon and fresh-ground nutmeg are added to the pumpkin. To simplify, a ready-made graham cracker crust is used. I swirled a bit of molasses and finely shredded chocolate on top, to make it crusty, like candy. Recipe here, at FatFree Vegan Kitchen.

I'm culling through the last of old red and russet potatoes, tomatoes and onions. Yellow and red peppers were on sale at a good price, so I made roasted vegetables. I added brussels sprouts, carrots, winter squash, and seasoned the works with chorizo sausage, garlic, olive oil, chile powder, coriander, turmeric, and paunch puran. A bit of Mrs. Dash and some finely shredded kale and parsley, and it was ready for dinner last night within 40 minutes. We baked some roast beef separately from the vegetables, so I saved the pot liquor and drizzled it over the vegetables at the end.

Some of my kids stayed over last night, so I made Arugula Salad with Huckleberries and Feta Cheese. (I've still got several huge plants remaining in the garden.) My salad had a simple balsamic/olive oil dressing, with a dash of pepper and garlic. A bit of honey, honey mustard and coriander also work well with this salad when rice wine vinegar is used. I simmered the huckleberries briefly to extract a little of the juice for the dressing.

This Wheat Berry Salad was served for Feast last Monday, along with a pot of pumpkin soup. The salad has finely chopped celery, carrots, onion, red and yellow peppers, garlic, and raisens. Shredded mustard greens and a bit of fennel offer a garnish. I deliberately omitted the salt, keeping the salad very light-flavored. I've found that older people have sodium issues, and it is just better to leave it out - if it is desired, offer the salt shaker.

I also made Mohogany Cake , making two small cakes with one batter. A heavy dose of chocolate and sour cream made the cake very dense. This is a two-tiered cake.

The rest of the batter was put into a tiny bundt pan, a perfect cake size for just the two of us. Powdered sugar provided a simple topping. Very often, the desserts that I make are half-recipe sizes, and baked in miniature pans. This works well for a family of two.

Amen: So Be It, And It Was

A runner's story...I'm so proud of her!

Ruhiyyih's post is about the remarkable potential of the human body and a resolute spirit. Our bodies want to move and build strength and endurance, just as the human spirit desires to soar and persevere. A blending of both is such a cherished gift.

Well Shut My Mouth

I made a big mistake this morning. George was peeling an orange, and I reminded him to be sure to put the peelings in the garbage can under the sink..........

He left one on top of my ceramic jar....

One on top of my kettle....

One on top of my espresso maker....

One hovering over the nutmeg....

There's one, on top of the bottle of beans....

There's another one on the blender....

Found one on top of my candle....

And this one, riding on top of an elephant.