Category: Cooking

It’s really easy and actually fairly low-fat (if you leave off the whipped cream!). You can use almost any kind of fruit you like, fresh or canned – the amount will depend on the size of your pan. I’ve used peaches with great success and I’m sure apricots would also be lovely. I fiddled a bit with the streusel recipe and added a bit more butter along with some flour until I got a consistency I liked. The glaze is optional. I prefer a thinner cake so I made mine in a 10-in flan pan.

Peach Kuchen

1/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup granulated sugar (I also used Splenda)
2 eggs, separated (I used 1/2 cup egg whites)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk (fat free)
2 cans (each 14 oz/398 ml) peaches, drained, or 2 cups fresh sliced peaches

Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (Splenda Brown Sugar)
1 Tbsp soft butter or margarine
1 tsp cinnamon

Glaze:
1/4 cup icing (confectioner’s) sugar
1 tsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla

Grease 9-in/2.5 L square cake pan. (or use greased 9 or 10 in. springform or flan pan with removable bottom).

In large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and egg yolks until fluffy. Combine flour and baking powder; beat into egg mixture alternately with milk. In separate bowl, beat eggs whites until stiff but not dry; fold into batter. Turn into prepared pan. Pit peaches and arrange over top.

Streusel topping: In small bowl, combine brown sugar, butter and cinnamon; mix well and sprinkle over fruit.

Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven for 45 to 55 mins (depending on size of pan used)or until top is golden and toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

Glaze: Combine icing sugar, milk and vanilla; mix well. Drizzle over cooled cake.

I have been trying to make zucchini bread and it fell flat. Really, flat! The taste was okay, but it never rose very high. So I am asking. Please send me your favorite zucchini bread recipe.

• 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
• 1/2 lbs. Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage
• 4 large zucchini
• 1 c. onion
• 1 cup chopped green & red peppers
• 1 c. rice (I like the brown rice best)
• 1 large jar tomato sauce
• 1-2 tbs Italian seasoning
• 1/4 c. fat free mozzarella cheese (I used regular part-skim cheese for 1 extra pt. per pepper)
• 1/4 tsp. garlic (I used minced garlic from a jar.

Cut Zucchini in half and scoop out the center.
Blanch zucchini halves for 5-8 minutes in boiling water.
Place zucchini shell in casserole dish.
Sauté turkey, garlic, onion and peppers until done, add cooked rice.
Mix tomato sauce with Italian Seasoning, then pour 1/2 into dish with turkey mixture.
Cook until hot.
Stuff cooked mixture into zucchini and pour remaining tomato sauce over zucchini.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
Uncover. Top with cheese and bake another 10-15 m. minutes or until zucchini is tender.

(For freezing, I followed all the steps except I did not top with cheese. I wrapped each boat in plastic and then put 4 boats in a Ziploc Bag.)

Tomato and Basil Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 5-8 garlic cloves, sliced very thin
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 lbs. fresh, ripe plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and thinly sliced (or use 3 cups of canned, whole tomatoes, with their juice, coarsely chopped)
• salt to taste (I used none)
• 3 Italian Turkey Sausages
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn by hand into small pieces
• pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Put all but 1 TB of olive oil and all the garlic and onions in a large heavy pot, over a medium-high heat and cook until the garlic begins to sizzle, but doesn’t brown.
2. Add the tomatoes and cook over a medium-high heat until the tomatoes have reduced and separated from the oil. This will be about 15 minutes depending upon your pot size. Season with salt.
3. Meanwhile, take the sausage out of the casings and roll into small meatballs, tossing them right into the pot.
4. Mix warm water with 1 small can tomato paste in a large measuring cup until smooth, add the Italian Seasoning and mix well, add to pot. Stir carefully until meatballs are separated.
5. Set on lowest heat and allow to simmer for an hour or so, covered.
6. Rinse fresh Basil leaves and then tear and add to sauce, mixing  well. Let this cook another hour on the lowest heat possible, covered.
7. While the sauce is cooking bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, add 1 tbs of salt, and drop in the pasta all at once, stirring until the pasta is submerged. If you have a smaller pot, you can use less than 4 quarts of water, but you must constantly stir the pasta for one minute.
8. I also cooked a spaghetti squash. Cut in half, clean out the seeds, place in a roasting pan, full of water and bake at 375° (F) for 45 minutes. Remove from water, cool slightly and then using a fork, comb strings of squash to look like spaghetti.
9. When the pasta is cooked al dente, drain and top with the sauce in the skillet, adding the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
10. Serve at once with fresh grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Roasted Beets

Preheat oven to 450º F

6 good size beets
olive oil
roasting pan

Peel under cool water, the uncooked beets. Notice, they will not make your fingers red! When all the beets are peeled, cut them into quarters.

Spread beets in a roasting pan and lightly pour olive oil over them and then toss the beets to coat them. Cover with aluminum foil tightly, and roast for 40-50 minutes. Shake the pan to move the beets around in the pan, but let it stay covered.
Beets are done when tender and they are caramelized in the pan.

These are so delicious and the beets taste so sweet. It is now my favorite way to have them!