Chef Foundation

Archive for February, 2011

If you are tired of berry pies or just want to include more fresh healthful blueberries in your diet here is a fresh recipe idea, and it is so simple to prepare. Use berries that are sturdy and won’t wilt when baking, such as blueberries, cherries blackberries, or raspberries.

Fresh healthy, berries, contain many valuable nutrients like vitamins, such as C, and anti-oxidants. Many nutritionists these days recommend including a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in your daily diet.

This recipe is so simple, anyone can make it; even an inexperienced cook.

List of Ingredients:
2 cups blueberries (fresh or froze – you may substitute raspberries, blackberries or any sturdy berry – but do not use strawberries). 1/3 cup cornstarch (Optional a pad or 2 of butter on the bottom of the pan if you don’t mind the calories.) About 2/3 loaf of French or Cuban or Italian bread (cut into 1 inch cubes) or enough bread cubes to fill your casserole dish. 3 eggs 2/3 cups sugar 2 – 2 1/2 cups of half and half 1 teaspoon vanilla Pancake syrup – flavor of your choice such as maple, blueberry or strawberry.

Directions:

1. Mix blueberries, cornstarch, and sugar and pour onto the bottom of a greased 1 quart casserole dish. (you can also add a pad or 2 of butter to the bottom of the pan at this point, for extra sauce if you don’t mind the calories.)

2. After cutting up the bread into cubes pour over the blueberry mixture in the casserole dish.

3. Then whisk the eggs, half and half and vanilla and sugar together and pour over the bread cubes. Make sure the bread cubes absorb the liquid mixture.

4. Bake covered, at 375 degrees, for about 1 hour. If you have a larger dish to fill with hot water, place the 1 quart casserole dish inside the dish with the water then cover and bake.

Serve it topped with butter and syrup of your choice such as maple, blueberry, or fruit flavored syrups. Another optional topping is custard sauce if you have any on hand.

This could be served with bacon or sausage early in the morning for a weekend breakfast. Or later on in the day as an evening dessert, served with ice cream or whipped cream.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and is vital to your child’s health and growth. A nutritious, healthy breakfast is also an excellent start to your child’s school day. It’s the brain food they need to be alert and active for the day’s studies.

Most often, it’s hard to get children to sit down in the morning to a full-course meal. But there are other quick, healthy alternatives if you find your child too sleepy for a full meal or if time is an issue. Breakfast may be more encouraged if you get your little one involved in actually preparing the morning meal. Try it once and see what comes of it. Let them know how important their help in the kitchen really is to you. This may also be a good time to get your whole family gathered around the table. It all depends on your family’s schedules and activities.

If you find getting your children interested in a full meal in the morning to be challenging…don’t panic. It is very important to at least get them to eat some other quick healthful choices. There are various quick, healthy options for you to choose from. Let’s explore…

Below are some food choices to get your kids moving in the morning

Smoothies

Drinking a refreshing smoothie makes it a lot easier to add more fruits and veggies to your diet, and kids love them. Smoothies give you a colorful variety of fruits and veggies. They are also easy and fun to make.

Banana Pineapple Smoothie

Ingredients

1 cup cubed fresh pineapple
2 bananas sliced
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 cup non-fat yogurt (any flavor)
Ice cubes
Sweetener if desired

Directions

Combine fresh pineapples, bananas, soy milk, yogurt, and ice cubes in a blender.
Blend until smooth. Serves about 4.

Carrot Apple Juice Smoothie

Ingredients

1 cup peeled and diced carrots
1 1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup cold water
Ice cubes

Directions

Toss all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth

Muffins and Bagels

For healthier muffins or bagels of course, you need to bake the homemade type. It is best to make them with whole wheat flour. Homemade bran muffins are excellent with some low fat butter and low sugar jelly or jam and are also a good source of fiber. Apple or pear butter on top will also give you some added variety.

Below is a nutritious recipe I think your kids will take a liking to. Who says you can’t have pizza for breakfast?

Muffin Pizza

Ingredients

2 english muffins
pizza sauce
grated mozzarella cheese
1 slice low-fat deli chopped ham
2 scrambled eggs (may substitute egg beaters)

Directions

Cut the 2 muffins in half. Top with pizza sauce, grated cheese, chopped ham, and eggs. Place under toaster oven for a minute or two. Adjust settings to your liking. Offer your child a piece of fruit on the side.

Fruit Salads

There are many variations of fruit salads and really, they are great anytime of the day…not just for breakfast. Fruit salads are excellent with some non-fat yogurt dip.

Breakfast Casseroles

There are many types of casseroles for breakfast. And to make them healthy, you can add any kind of veggies you like and is highly recommended to add to your daily intake of vegetables. Using turkey bacon or sausage and low fat cheeses is ideal when it comes to healthy casseroles. Also using an egg substitute such as egg beaters will give you less fat and cholesterol. With casseroles, you can make them ahead the night before and pop them in the oven in the morning.

Last Minute Breakfast

Always have dried fruits, nuts, dates, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and trail mixes on hand to toss into sealed plastic bags for those mornings when time just doesn’t permit for a breakfast meal. Make for sure each child gets one of these bags before leaving the house.

There you have it…just a few ideas to keep breakfast healthy for your little ones. Also…don’t forget to eat a good breakfast yourself.

My grandmother had the Best Bread Pudding Recipe without a doubt. It is still one of my favorite desserts. Imagine my surprise on my first trip to New Orleans to discover all Bread Pudding is NOT alike!

There are actually several variations of this dessert. My grandmother’s version is a variation of a traditional dessert popular in British Cuisine. It is called bread and butter pudding and is often confused with bread pudding. Cubed bread is placed in a pan and then covered with an egg mixture to make a custard. After it is baked, the bread rises to the top to form a “crust” like topping. It tastes similar to French toast. The egg mixture forms a rich custard pudding at the bottom. Of course, my grandmother added her secret spices to give this a sweet nutmeg flavor. It is absolutely wonderful!

Louisiana bread pudding is made entirely differently and is just as good. The common ingredient is stale bread, but that is where the similarities end. The bread pudding consistency is similar to a moist cake and is warm served with a wonderful vanilla, whiskey, or rum sauce. The smell is heavenly and if you get a chance to visit New Orleans, this is a MUST have dessert that is served at most restaurants.

The following recipe, a specialty of my New Orleans sister-in-law, is a requested dessert at holidays, parties or any special occasion. The secret to this recipe is the bread. Stale french bread is the best. Use the long narrow loaves, if available. No matter what size pan she uses, it is always empty at the end of our family gatherings!

Best Bread Pudding Recipe

Ingredients

6 – 8 cups stale bread, broken in cubes
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups sugar
8 tablespoons butter, melted
3 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 large can fruit cocktail, drained
3/4 can condensed milk
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup raisins

Directions

Combine milks, butter, eggs, vanilla, sugar, nutmeg. Fold in bread and stir. Mixture should be very moist.

Add fruit cocktail and raisins. Mix well. Pour mixture into a 9×13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees approximately 1 hour or until top is golden brown. Serve warm with whiskey sauce.

Variations

You can leave out the raisins. Try adding blueberries, peaches, or apples.

Although my grandmother’s recipe is still one of my favorite desserts, I can truthfully say that this is the Best Bread Pudding Recipe – New Orleans Style!

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Tiramisu is an Italian dessert consisting of layers of sponge cake soaked with coffee and brandy or liqueur layered with mascarpone cheese and topped with grated chocolate. This version is lighter than its traditional recipe, substituting a reduced fat cream filling for much of the mascarpone.

To make the cream filling:

1 Cup 2% milk

1/4 Teaspoon of cinnamon

2 Teaspoons of a good vanilla bean paste

1/4 Cup sugar, plus 3 tablespoons for beating the egg whites

1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch

3 eggs, 1 whole egg, plus two egg whites, discard the yolks

1 1/2 Teaspoons lemon zest

1/4 Cup of room temp low fat cream cheese

1/4 Teaspoon cream of tartar

Remainder of ingredients of Tiramisu:

24 Ladyfingers

1/2 Cup cold espresso or regular coffee

1 Tablespoon Brandy

1 Tablespoon of Rum

1 Tablespoon water

4 Tablespoons sugar

3-4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

First, prepare the cream filling:

You will combine the milk, cinnamon, vanilla bean paste, and one tablespoon of the sugar in a small pan. You will gradually bring the mixture to a slight boil, more if a simmer actually while stirring frequently so that the milk does not burn. Remove from the heat and let stand, or start to cool. You will then get a small bowl and start to whisk together three tablespoons of sugar and the cornstarch into about a tablespoon of water. Add the whole egg and the lemon zest, and whisk these together. A micro plane would work well for this recipe, but if you do not have one use your knife.

You will then whisk the scalded milk, into the egg mixture very slowly so you will not cook the eggs immediately. You will then, return this mixture to the pan and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, or until the cornstarch does its job and it becomes a very thick mixture. Remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in the low fat cream cheese.

Beat the two egg whites and cream of tartar until they are glossy but not dry, adding the rest of the three tablespoons of sugar as the egg whites stiffen. Fold these egg whites into the warm custard mixture, and let it cool to room temperature.

To finish the dessert, arrange a dozen ladyfingers, you can also use sponge cake for this recipe for an even lower fat recipe, it does not taste as well though, and put into a serving dish or platter with sides a nine inch pan will work fine. You will then combine the espresso, brandy, and rum, water, and 4 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl. Then whisk the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved. Brush half of this mixture on the ladyfingers, ideally with a pastry brush. You will spread half of the mascarpone mixture on top, and sprinkle with half of the cocoa. Its best to sprinkle the cocoa by using a fine strainer or a sifter.

Then, place the second layer of ladyfingers on top, followed by brushing on the remaining espresso mixture, and then the rest of the mascarpone. Refrigerate the dessert for 3-4 hours, and then sift the rest of the cocoa on top before serving.

These days it is getting harder to have good night sleep. It is the burden from the workplace, the burden from family and of course not forgets to mention the increasing level of crime; these things have kept us awake at night. All of these things are always success in preventing us to have good night sleep. Those three things are hard to solve, but we may have the solution for the crime level. Criminals are always aiming for our belongings, and it has always been our car, they after. That is why we suggest you to have car’s insurance.
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