Recipe Monday!

Here's what we've been eating lately. Well, we really have had more than desserts, but it's just a dessert kind of post today:

1. This one was adapted from The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion. This cake is just incredibly delicious. That's all I can say. K, our Danish son, and D devoured it, almost within a day:
Apple - Rhubarb Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/3 + 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, or 3/4 cup all purpose flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oat bran
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp apple pie spice or 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp each nutmeg and allspice
3 TBS crystallized ginger, minced
2 cups cored, chopped apples with peel on
2 cups diced rhubarb
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 large eggs
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
6 TBS butter, softened

Nutritional Info:
Fat: 5.5g
Carbohydrates: 36.3g
Calories:196.3
Protein: 3.5g
Dietary Fiber: 2.7g

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, sugars, baking soda, salt, and spices. Cut the softened butter into chunks and add it along with the ginger, buttermilk, apples, raisins, eggs and rhubarb.

3. Turn the batter into a greased and floured 9X13 inch pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake for 45 minutes, or until it springs back when lightly touched in the center. Remove it from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Leave the cake in the pan.

Number of Servings: 16

2. This was off of the Sparkpeople.com site. It's from the American Institute for Cancer Research. AICY is the caner charity that fosters research on diet and cancer and educates the public about the results. Again, this is not overly sweet. D and I just loved it:
Summer Pudding

Ingredients:
8 slices white bread, without crusts
5 cups assorted berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, sliced strawberries) (we used just blueberries, 'cause that's what's at the farmer's market right now)
1/2 cup sugar
Lowfat plain or vanilla yogurt

Nutritional Info:
Fat: 1.7g
Carbohydrates: 40.3g
Calories:185.3
Protein: 4.2g
I wasn't able to get the fiber information for this one.

1. Line bottom and sides of 1-quart bowl with bread, trimming it to fit.

2. In medium saucepan, combine berries and sugar. Heat, stirring over medium heat, just until sugar is dissolved and berries release their juice, about 4 minutes.

3. Pour fruit and juice into bread-lined bowl. Top with layer of bread and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Place bowl on plate and cover it with saucer that fits just inside bowl. Weigh down saucer with 2-pound can. Refrigerate pudding overnight.

4. To serve, remove can, saucer and plastic wrap. Run knife around edge of bowl to loosen pudding and invert it onto bottom of plate. Serve pudding with dollop of yogurt on each plate.

Makes 6 servings.


3. Oh, my goodness.... this next one is to die for. Probably the best chocolate ice cream I've ever had. Tiny servings (1/4 cup) are more than enough - that's what the serving size is for this:
Deep Dark Chocolate Ice Cream adapted from Patrish's recipe off Recipezaar
Ingredients:
2 cups 2% milk
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 vanilla bean
5/8 cup granulated sugar
5/8 cup good, unsweetened cocoa powder
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Nutritional Info:
Fat: 6.9g
Carbohydrates: 19.4g
Calories:135.3
Protein: 2.6g
Dietary Fiber: 1.9g

1. In a large saucepan, combine the milk and cream over medium-low heat. With a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise; use the blunt edge of the knife to scrape out the seeds.

2. Stir the seeds and the bean pod into the milk/cream mixture. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove the pod adn rinse for other use or discard it.

3. Combine the sugar, cocoa, eggs and egg yolks in a medium bowl. Use a mixture on medium speed - it will be very thick

4. Measure out 1 cup of the hot milk/cream mixture. With the mixer on low, add the cup of the hot milk/cream to the cocoa mixture in a slow, steady stream and mix until completely incorporated. Stir the chopped chocolate into the saucepan with the milk/cream. Stir the egg mixture into the hot milk/cream. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to resemble chocolate pudding. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the vanilla extract. Cover with plastic wrap placed directly on the survace of the chocoalte mixture and refrigerate until complete cooled.

5. Pour the chilled custard into the freezer bowl of an ice cream maker, and let mix until thickened. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. It will freeze hard, though, so with the leftovers, freeze in a microwaveable, airtight container, and either leave the container out for 15 minutes before serving or heat in the microwave for about 10 seconds before serving.

Number of Servings: 14

And just to throw in something that's NOT dessert:

4. This next is SO good - and filling! The carrot tops really add to it, believe it or not. This has become a favorite summer "go-to" dinner:
Tuscan Carrot Top and Rice Soup

Ingredients:
1 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 small carrots, diced
2 small summer squach, diced (zucchini or other similar vegetable can substitute)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
ground pepper to taste
6 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup short grain rice
1 1/2 cups chopped carrot tops
4 TBS fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, or equivalent

Nutritional Info:
Fat: 1.8g
Carbohydrates: 22.1g
Calories:133.3
Protein: 5.7g
Dietary Fiber: 3.6g

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy soup pot. Saute the onion, carrots, summer squash and garlic for 5 minutes over low heat until onions are translucent. Add the salt and pepper and pour in the broth, and bring to a boil.

2. Add the rice and cook for 15 minutes or until rice is almost tender. Add the carrot tops and cook for 5 more minutes, mixing well.

3. Serve with the parmesan - 1 TBS per person to keep with the nutritional values, more if desired!

Number of Servings: 4