Beignets

Every since we watched Disney's "Princess and the Frog", I have often wondered what a Beignet was. Charlotte refers to Tiana's beignets as "man catching beignets". So I was wondering what these were, that made them so good. So I got to researching and I found....

Beignets
(pronounced Ben yay)


Beignets are often found in and typically associated with the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. They are referred to as a French doughnut or pastry made from deep-fried dough and sprinkled with confectioner's sugar.

So here's the recipe

Ingredients:
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (approx. 105°)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup evaporated milk
7 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup shortening, softened
oil for deep frying
powdered sugar

Directions:
In large bowl, sprinkle yeast over the warm water; stir to dissolve and let stand for 5 minutes. Add sugar, salt, beaten eggs, and evaporated milk. Whisk or use an electric mixer to blend thoroughly. Add 4 cups of the flour; beat until smooth.

Add shortening; gradually blend in remaining flour. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Roll out on floured board to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 2 1/2 to 3-inch squares. Deep fry at 360° for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. Serve hot with coffee (or if you don't drink coffee, like us, serve with hot cocoa).

Side note:
Dough can cut and frozen, separated in container with waxed paper.

Makes 4 to 5 dozen.

Toasted Coconut Cream Pie

Ingredients:

Crust
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

Filling
2 1/4 cups fresh or well-stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded unsweetened dried coconut, toasted
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Directions:


1. To make the crust: Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives used scissors-fashion until the butter is the size of small peas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over the mixture, stirring with a fork to moisten it evenly. Continue adding water until the dough just begins to come together when a small bit is pressed between your fingers; do not overwork the dough. Press the dough together into a ball and knead lightly. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in wax paper, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or for up to 2 days.

2. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F.

3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12- to 13-inch round. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch glass pie plate and gently press the pastry against the bottom and up the sides of the plate. Turn the overhang under and crimp the edges. Prick the bottom and sides of the shell with a fork.

4. Line the pie shell with a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, pressing it snugly into the bottom and against the sides, and fill with uncooked rice or beans. Bake the crust for 12 minutes. Remove the foil and rice and bake for 8 to 10 minutes longer, or until the crust is golden brown. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

5. To make the filling: Bring the coconut milk just to a boil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and cover to keep warm.

6. Beat the sugar and egg yolks with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large deep bowl until very thick and pale and the volume has increased at least three times. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in the flour, cornstarch, and salt, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. While beating, gradually pour in the warm coconut milk. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until it comes to a boil and thickens, then boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter, and whisk until melted. Add 3/4 cup of the coconut and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla.

7. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and let cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until thoroughly chilled and set, or for up to 1 day.

8. Beat the heavy cream with the confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large deep bowl until it holds stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. Beat in the remaining vanilla. With a rubber spatula, fold about one-quarter of the whipped cream into the pastry cream.

9. Transfer the pastry cream to the crust and smooth the top with a small offset spatula. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top with the clean offset spatula. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or for up to 4 hours, before serving.

10. Sprinkle the top of the pie with the remaining toasted coconut. Serve cut into wedges.

Recipe and picture from Epicurious.com

Diabetic Week Recipes

Cinnamon Apple Cobbler

Ingredients:
4 apples - peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup water
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup fructose (fruit sugar)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk

2 Tablespoons butter -melted
Cinnamon for top

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F ( 190 degrees C).
2.In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the apples, water, cinnamon, cornstarch and fructose. Cook until apples are soft and mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes.
3.Pour the apple mixture into a casserole dish.
4.Prepare biscuit dough by combining the whole-wheat pastry flour and baking powder. Add the oil and stir until well mixed. Add the honey and buttermilk; stir with a fork until flour mixture is moist. Add additional milk if necessary.
5.Drop biscuit dough by tablespoons on top of apples. Bake for 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.
6. Brush tops with melted butter, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve warm.

Diabetic Week Recipes

Butternut and Sweet Potato Bisque

Ingredients:

1 (2 pound) butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cut into large chunks
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and grated
1 1/2 (32oz containers)Chicken stock, or amount to cover
1 cup plain yogurt, or amount desired (optional)
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1.Place the squash, sweet potatoes, onion, ginger, and garlic in a large pot. Pour in enough Chicken stock to cover the vegetables. Bring to simmer over medium heat, and cook until vegetables are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork, 30 to 45 minutes.
2.Remove pot from heat. Place soup in batches into a blender or the bowl of a food process. Pulse until smooth. Return soup to pot, and whisk in yogurt. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If necessary, reheat soup over low heat, but do not allow to boil

Diabetic Week Recipes

Turkey and Butternut Squash Chili
Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 pound butternut squash - peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chilies
2 (14.5 ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid
1 (15.5 ounce) can white hominy, drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:
1.Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir for 3 minutes, then add the turkey, and stir until crumbly and no longer pink.
2.Add the butternut squash, chicken broth, green chilies, tomatoes, kidney beans, hominy, and tomato sauce; season with chili powder, cumin, and garlic salt. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

Recipe and Picture from Allrecipes.com

Diabetic Week

Eat To Beat Diabetes
An article posted by Reader Digest
The fact that diet is a key part of managing diabetes is no surprise. After all, glucose comes from food, so it makes sense that what you eat plays a role in making your blood sugar go up.

But you shouldn't think of food as the problem. Instead, consider it a big part of the solution.

Food as medicine? You bet. In fact, the right diet is such powerful medicine that, for people with type 2 diabetes, it could actually reverse the course of your disease. If you take insulin or other medication, it could help you reduce your dose or even eliminate your medication. For people with type 1 diabetes, the right diet can help you better manage your condition.

Fortunately, your food prescription doesn't have to taste like medicine. If you think having diabetes means a no-fun "diabetic diet" of flavorless meals, and all your favorite foods forbidden, think again. The truth is, a healthful diet for a person with diabetes isn't very different from a healthful diet for anybody else. Although for many years the medical establishment recommended restricted diet for people with diabetes--especially when it came to sugar--research has shown that sugar is not the villain it was once thought to be. In 1994 the American Diabetes Association (ADA) loosened its dietary recommendations and expanded the options for healthful eating. The emphasis now is on choices--and some choices are better than others, whether you have diabetes or not.

Your "Eat to Beat" Game Plan

How do you eat to beat diabetes? The goal is to control blood sugar while getting the right balance of nutrients for great health. But exactly what that means for you will depend on a host of factors. To plot a strategy that will work for you:

Consult a dietitian. Your doctor can refer you to a registered dietitian, who will evaluate your current diet and make suggestions based on what, when, and how much you like to eat. Don't worry that a dietitian will only give you a list of rules and no-no's--a common fear. You may find instead that she actually provides you with more flexibility than you thought possible. For example, if you eat an ethnic diet that includes a lot of beans and rice--foods that raise blood-glucose levels--your dietitian can help make sure those staples remain a major part of your diet by, say, limiting per-meal portions or spreading your consumption out over the course of the day.

Many health-insurance and managed-care plans won't pay for ongoing consultations with a dietitian, but a diagnosis of diabetes will often allow you to schedule up to three visits. That's enough to establish a workable plan, which you, your doctor, and--perhaps occasionally--your dietitian can fine-tune as you go.

Keep a food diary. Before you see your dietitian for the first time, keep a log of each morsel--no matter how small--that you eat every day for at least a week. Don't just simply note what you put in your mouth. Also write down where you ate a particular food and what you were doing at the time. Doing this will help your dietitian find patterns that may reveal the other "w"--why you eat. Keeping a food diary doesn't help only your dietitian: Writing down what you eat will heighten your awareness of your eating habits, and this can help you recognize ways you can change.

For your diary, keep a small notebook handy throughout the day so you can jot down what you eat right away. Some people make their notes in digital planners like Palm Pilots. If taking notes at every sitting is inconvenient, you can try to reconstruct your food consumption at the end of the day; the record will be valuable even if you forget an item here and there.

Factor in your blood sugar. Also show your dietitian your log of daily blood-sugar readings so she can compare your glucose levels to your eating patterns. Comparing the two will indicate how much your blood sugar tends to swing in response to food and will help determine when and how much you should eat. Some people with diabetes can manage simply by eating three balanced meals a day and cutting back on the empty calories in sweets; others need to follow a more detailed plan specifying calories, grams of carbohydrate, or number of servings from different food groups.

Put it all together. Once you and your dietitian have a grasp of your eating and blood-sugar patterns, it's time to hammer out recommendations for specific foods you can eat at each meal or snack. This process is part negotiation and part analysis, and it involves other variables that have to be factored in:

•Your weight. The more excess pounds you carry, the more careful you'll need to be about what you eat.
•Exercise habits. Exercising typically makes blood sugar go down, so how much you do--and when--will affect the number of calories you should take in at each meal.
•Insulin use. If you're type 1, the content and timing of your meals should consistently balance the amount of insulin circulating in your blood from injections. If you're type 2 and using insulin, you'll need to factor this in on top of variables (such as weight and exercise) that affect insulin resistance.
•Medication use. Which medication you take, how much, and when its action peaks may affect your dietary choices. If you have type 2 diabetes, getting off medication may be a realistic goal for your meal plan.
•Special considerations. Be sure to inform your dietitian of results of tests for lipids (such as cholesterol), blood pressure, and microalbumin (for kidney function). If you already suffer such complications as poor cholesterol ratios, high blood pressure, and kidney damage, you may need to follow guidelines that specifically deal with those conditions, such as eating even less saturated fat, cutting back on salt, or avoiding excessive amounts of protein.
•Consistency is key. Once you've developed a plan, you'll keep your blood sugar more stable if you eat about the same amount of food with the same balance of nutrients at about the same times each day. Don't figure you can be "bad" on some days as long as you're "good" on others: Eating in erratic patterns only causes blood sugar to seesaw. Instead, try to come up with a meal plan you can live with all the time.
•How's it working? Self-monitoring your blood sugar will give you and your doctor a sense of how well you're able to control it with diet. From there, you can fine-tune your plan of attack by tinkering with your meal plan or changing your activity level, insulin dosage, or other variables. If you're type 2 and you're having trouble keeping your blood sugar in line through diet and exercise, that may mean you're a candidate for insulin or drug intervention. On the other hand, if you've succeeded at losing weight and controlling your blood sugar through diet and exercise, you may be able to stop taking insulin or medication.

Diabetic Week

You came, you saw, you shopped. But then you got home from the supermarket and started unloading fatty snack items and deli meats. What went wrong?

You fell back into the habit of shopping like an average American rather than a person with a dietary purpose. In an enticing palace of eating designed to lead you astray, here's how to stay on track:


•Make a list. The meal plan you develop with your dietitian will help you figure out which foods you should be buying. Before you shop, write down what you need to reduce the chances of buying what you don't.
•Limit your trips. Make your shopping list long so you have to make only one or two trips to the store per week. Besides being more efficient, doing this provides less opportunity to make impulse purchases.
•Avoid shopping on an empty stomach. When you're hungry, you're more likely to grab high-fat snacks and desserts.

Follow the walls. Limit browsing to the perimeter of the store, where you'll find the freshest, most healthful foods: raw produce, low-fat dairy products, fresh lean meats and fish. Venture into the interior aisles only when you're after specific foods, such as pasta and dried beans, to avoid picking up extra items not included in your diet plan.


Pay attention to portions. Those cookies look great--and hey, eating them only costs you 12 grams of carbohydrate. But check the serving size: one cookie. Eating "them"--say, three cookies--brings your total carb count up to 36 grams, more than the flesh of a baked potato.

Ignore the pictures. Golden sunshine glows on heaps of freshly harvested grains--an image of good health that signifies nothing. Look at the side of the box instead for the facts, and choose foods that are high in fiber and low in fat and calories.

Grade your grains. Want high-fiber bread? Look for the words "whole grain," "100 percent whole wheat," or "stone-ground" on the label. Breads labeled simply "wheat"--even if they are brown in color--may not contain whole grains. True whole-grain bread contains at least two grams of fiber per serving.

Watch the language. Beware of foods labeled "no sugar added"--the wording is carefully chosen because the product may be loaded with natural sugar. You'll find the real story on the label, under "Sugars."

Add some spice to your life. Instead of creamy condiments, load up on such spices as basil, chives, cinnamon, cumin, curry, garlic, ginger, horseradish, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, parsley, and Tabasco sauce. They're so low in carbohydrates, fat, protein, and calories that they're considered "free" items in meal planning.

Keep your eye on the cashier. You're waiting in line, nothing to do--a captive audience. It's no accident that supermarkets pile their impulse items next to the registers. Keep a couple of items from your basket in your hands: It'll stop you from reaching for the candy bars.

A few points to remember when eating to correct Diabetes... Keep these in mind when shopping!

Slow Cooker Squash and Apples

Ingredients:
1 (3 pound) butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cubed
4 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 white onion, diced (optional)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

Directions:
Combine the squash, apples, cranberries, onion, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or until the squash is tender and cooked through. Stir occasionally while cooking.

Triple Berry Pie

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh strawberries, halved
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups raspberries
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

Directions:
1.In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar and cornstarch. Add strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries; gently toss until berries are coated. When using frozen fruit allow fruit mixture to stand for 15 to 30 minutes, or until fruit is partially thawed.
2.Line a 9 inch pie plate with half of the pastry. Stir berry mixture, and transfer to the crust lined pie plate. Top with second crust, and seal and crimp the edge. To prevent overbrowning, cover the edge of the pie with foil.
3.Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 minutes when using fresh fruit, 50 minutes for frozen fruit. Remove foil. Bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Dairy Free Week!

Picture from Allrecipes.com

Balsamic Chicken Breast

Ingredients:


2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2.Place the potatoes on a baking sheet; drizzle olive oil over potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
3.Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar over the breasts; season with salt and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil.
4.Place the potatoes in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes; place the dish with the chicken in the oven and cook both the potatoes an chicken another 20 minutes; flip both the potatoes and chicken; reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake another 20 minutes.
5.Pour 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Place the chicken breasts atop the potatoes; drizzle with the reduced balsamic vinegar to serve.<

Dairy Free Week!

My personal fav, I have been waiting for a few weeks now to post this bad boy!!! We used the corn tortillas we had left over from our gluten free week... They were so yummy! Enjoy!!!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
7 corn tortillas
vegetable oil

Directions:
1.Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
2.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3.Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
4.Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

Sorry there are no pics, but when I do get some, I will post them, because I will be making this one again and again!