Sugar Free Coconut Pie

My husband loves coconut pie; it's probably his favorite.  However, he's diabetic, so pie is not something I make very often because he just doesn't need the sugar. Still, I have made coconut pie for him on occasion, all the while feeling a bit guilty about doing so.  Granted, there are many sugar substitutes on the market, and I've tried almost all of them; the results have always been less than desirable.  I had resigned myself to making his favorite deserts with real sugar but making less often.

I happy to say that is no longer the case.  A few weeks ago, I attended a gluten free and allergy expo in Dallas, TX with my daughter.  While walking through all the vendor displays and sampling all the gluten free products, I stumbled upon a vendor with a new sugar substitute--Swerve (at least it was new to me).  Unlike other brands of sugar replacements, Swerve has both a granular and confectioner's version (I was really intrigued by the concept of a replacement for confectioner's sugar).



 According the company's website (www.swervesweetner.com), Swerve is a zero glycemic index sugar substitute that contains no artificial ingredients, preservatives, or flavors.  The website states that Swerve is made be fermenting glucose with Moniliella polinis--a natural microorganism found in honeycomb--to break down the glucose and produce Erythritol, which is classified by the FDA as a zero-calorie, 4-carbon sugar alcohol that does not affect blood glucose. 

This sounds great, but still I was a skeptic.  I've just never had any real success with sugar replacements, but I decided to give it a try.  My grandmother's coconut pie recipe would be the perfect test.  So I gathered the ingredients and began.

First, I combined the sugar and flour (with just a pinch of unrefined salt), stirring this dry mixture until everything was well mixed.  I then added the half-n-half (this could be substitute with a lower fat milk or non-milk product, but you'll lose some of the richness) and egg yolks which I had whisked together and the butter (cut into small chunks).  I know many will be horrified that I added the egg yolks at this point, but I've found that if you mix the milk and eggs and start them at a cold temperature, the yolks won't scramble.

Use a low heat and stir constantly!  This is critical!  If you step away there's a very high chance that your custard will scorch--and that's a very bad thing!  Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble (about 10--15 minutes).  When the mixture becomes thick and bubbly, stir in the coconut and the vanilla flavorings. 

Pour into your favorite pie crust and top with meringue (I've included my recipe using Swerve).  Sprinkle the top of the pie with some coconut shreds and place in the oven to cook and brown the meringue and coconut. I need to mention that my family doesn't really like the "mile high" meringue, so I stick with a much thinner meringue layer.  However, if you family likes the "mile high" meringue, by all means--go for it!

The pie turned out beautifully!  At this point, the problem became holding off my husband long enough for the pie to set; he wanted to dig right in!  I was more than pleased with the result; in fact, the pie was better the next day.  Unlike other sugar substitutes, neither the custard nor the meringue separated.  I'll definitely make other recipes using Swerve.

Here's the recipe for the pie:

Sugar Free Coconut Pie

 

1 1/4 cup Swerve granular sweetener

1/4 cup flour

3 cups half-n-half

1 cup coconut flakes

pinch of salt

3 egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue)

2 tablespoons butter, cut into small chunks

1 teaspoon coconut or vanilla flavoring

 

Whisk the milk and eggs.  In a large saucepan, combine the flour, Swerve, and salt.  Add the milk and egg mixture and whisk to combine.  Add the butter.  Stir constantly over low heat until the mixture begins to thicken and bubble.  Add the coconut.  When the mixture is thick and bubbly, remove from heat and stir in the coconut of vanilla flavoring.  Pour into your favorite pie crust.

 

 

Sugar Free Meringue

 

3 egg whites

1/4 cup Swerve sweetener

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  On the highest speed, beat the egg whites until stiff.  Slowly add the sugar, cream of tartar, and vanilla flavoring.  Beat until stiff peaks form.  Spread over the pie and place in the oven until the meringue browns.  Be careful at this point as the meringue will brown rather quickly.

Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread

My family loves banana bread!  However, given that one of my granddaughters has recently been diagnosed with celiac disease, baking this family favorite became a challenge.  So, I decided that this past Saturday afternoon was a perfect time to tackle the challenge; it was raining--a perfect time for a warm loaf of banana nut bread!

For the "flour" I used King Arthur Gluten Free All-Purpose Mix; I purchased this at my local supermarket, so there was no need to blend gluten free "flours."  While making your own mix is not difficult, I don't always have the combination of rice, sorghum, and other non-gluten flours necessary for baking.  Having a pre-mixed package is very handy!

The result was wonderful!  Everyone loved it!  The end result was dark, rich, moist banana nut bread that tastes just as if wheat flour was used--no one could tell the difference.  The steps are easy.  First, spray a 9x5 loaf pan with non-stick spray.  I actually line my loaf pan with non-stick foil and then spray.  I've found that using the foil as a liner allows the loaf to be lifted effortlessly from the loaf pan; the foil can then be peeled off easily when placing the loaf on a wire rack for cooling. I'll include the recipe at the end of this post, but I thought including  pictures of the process might be helpful.

Here goes:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set it aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix the canola oil and sugars. Then add the eggs; mix well.

Add the bananas and vanilla.

Mix well.  The next step is to add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  Fold in the flour mix and stir until well blended.

Finally, add the nuts, stirring to mix well.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan.

Bake the loaf for 65--75 minutes.  At this point, I must add some comments about my experience.  I started checking my loaf at 50 minutes.  I also thought that the loaf was becoming too brown, so I placed a piece of foil over it to prevent further browning.  While the recipe calls for 65--75 minutes of baking time, my loaf actually needed almost 90 minutes.  I recommend that you check the loaf every 10 minutes or so beginning at about 55 minutes.  I initially used a toothpick to test the loaf, but something told me to check the bottom of the loaf, so I inserted a thin knife blade--it wasn't done when I first checked.  However, after adding the additional baking time, the loaf was perfect. 

After allowing the loaf to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, I removed it from the pan and then peeled off the foil in order to allow the loaf to finish cooling.

This is the end result!  It didn't last long once I sliced the first piece!

Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread
*2 cups King Arthur Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Mix (or equivalent)
*1 teaspoon baking soda
*1/8 teaspoon salt
*1/2 cup canola oil
*3/4 cup sugar
*1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
*2 large eggs
*3 bananas, mashed (I used 4 small bananas)
*1/2 teaspoon gluten free vanilla
*1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts) (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray 9x5 loaf pan with non-stick spray.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour mix, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the canola oil and sugars.
Add eggs, mashed bananas, and vanilla, stirring until well blended.
Fold in the dry ingredients and pecans (if using).
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 65--75 minutes (check periodically for doneness) or until toothpick (or thin knife) inserted in center comes out clean. 
Allow loaf to cool in the pan for approximately 15 minutes.
Transfer loaf to wire cooling rack to cool before serving.

Lifestyle Change--Going Gluten Free!

Lifestyle Change--Going Gluten Free!

After a very long hiatus, I'm resurrecting my blog.  I'd like to say there were multiple reasons for the dormancy, but truthfully, life has just been busy.  One of the reasons I've decided to begin the blog again is that my granddaughter has just been diagnosed with celiac disease--which means a big change in we our family will need to cook and eat.  I don't mind telling you that at first it seemed a bit overwhelming!  As I begin to research the disease and the dietary needs associated with it, I realized, first of all, just how serious the condition is.  However, I also realized that with proper nutrition, it can be managed.  On the bright side, I think my family will see definite benefits; we've talked about moving away from processed foods, but this just gives us the motivation to be fully committed. 

 

One of the goals of this blog is help others find ways to make delicious dishes for their family.  One other thing I need mention is that I have another granddaughter with nut and egg allergies, so I'll also be posting recipes that are both gluten free, egg free, and nut free. 

 

This morning was an oddity for those of us in Texas--we were covered in sleet.  I'm an English professor, so the university where I teach closed due to dangerous roadway conditions (for the mockers--there's a huge difference in driving on ice as opposed to driving in snow!).  I decided to use my "free day" (there's really no such thing in the life of a teacher or professor) and make a gluten free breakfast casserole.  I must say--it was tasty!  Here's my first gluten free breakfast casserole:

 

Cheesy Gluten Free Breakfast Casserole

 

1 pound ground sausage

diced onion (about 3/4 cup)

diced bell pepper (about 1/2 cup)

2 diced jalapeno peppers (more or less, depending on personal taste)

1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese (make sure it doesn't contain any starch)

1/2 cup milk

20 oz. frozen hash brown potatoes (I used cubed, but shredded would also work)

8 oz. sour cream

8 eggs

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crumble and brown sausage, onion, and bell peppers.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until well blended.

Add the sour cream and milk to the eggs and whisk until well blended and smooth.

Add the jalapenos and cheese and stir.

Add the hash brown potatoes (I didn't thaw mine) and sausage.

Add salt and pepper and mix well.

Pour the mixture into a greased 13x9x12 pan and cover with foil.

Bake for 1 hour or until knife comes out clean.  I'll admit that after an hour, I kicked the temperature up to 375 and baked for about 15 more minutes uncovered.

If desired, (and I certainly included this step) sprinkle more shredded cheese over the top of the casserole and leave in the oven until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and beginning to brown.

 

This casserole can be served as a casserole, on a gluten free hamburger bun for a breakfast sandwich, or wrapped in a gluten free tortilla for a breakfast burrito.  The casserole also reheats beautifully; just pop the desired amount in the microwave for a minute or so.

 



 

 



Banana Scones

Banana Scones

I love scones!  Like muffins, they can be savory or sweet.  Scones have a sophistication that muffins lack (and they travel better than muffins!).  However, it wasn't until recently that I tried my hand a baking them.  One of my granddaughters has an egg allergy, so I'm always looking for recipes without eggs--scones are perfect!  I always have bananas on hand because my granddaughters love them, but they do tend to go bad relatively quickly.  When I found myself just short of enough bananas for banana bread, I decided to try this recipe for scones--they are delicious!

Recipe:  Makes 8 scones

Ingredients:

**2 very ripe bananas (about 8 oz or 1 cup once mashed)

**2--4 tablespoons of milk, whole or 2% (I used 1%)

**1/2 cup (4 oz) plain yogurt (I used nonfat plain greek yogurt)

**2 1/2 cups (12.5 oz) all-purpose flour (I used half all purpose and whole wheat flour)

**4 tablespoons (1 1/2 oz) granulated sugar

**2 teaspoons baking powder

**1 teaspoon salt

**1 teaspoon cinnamon

**4 tablespoons (2 oz) salted butter

**1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) (I used half walnuts and half pecans because that's what I had)

Directions:

Mash the bananas and add enough milk to make one total cup (if necessary). Stir in the yogurt and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Cut the butter into several pieces.  Work it into the dry ingredients using a fork, pastry cutter, or your fingers until there are no pieces of butter larger than a pea.

Pour the banana-yogurt mixture into the bowl  with the flour and stir just enough to incorporate all the flour.  Fold in the walnuts, if using.  This will be a fairly wet dough.  NOTE:  I had to add about 1/4 cup of milk to incorporate all the flour and make a wet dough.

Line a dinner plate with a piece of wax paper and turn the dough out on top.  Pat into a disk about 1-inch thick and cover with another piece of wax paper.  Freeze the scone dough approximately 45 minutes.  Take the dough out and cut (score) into 8 sections.  At this point, the dough can be baked or returned to the freezer.  I actually put the dough back into the freezer and baked them the next morning.  When you're ready to bake the scones, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  

Remove the scone dough from the freezer and peel off the top layer of wax paper and invert the scones onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Peel off the second layer of wax paper.  At this point, I cut through the still frozen scone dough to separate the sections.  Pull the sections apart just a bit to give them some room to expand.

Bake for 25--30 minutes, until the scones are firm to the touch and turning golden-brown on the edges.  Cool completely and cut apart any scones that baked together with a sharp knife.  Enjoy them as they are, with butter, or, as my husband likes them, with a little butter and syrup!  They're de-lish!

Nutritional information (approximate):

Calories:  316

Total Fat:  11.6 g

Saturated Fat:  4.3 g

Polyunsaturated Fat:  4.1 g

Monosaturated Fat:  2.2 g

Cholesterol:  15.9 mg

Sodium:  464 mg

Potassium:  215.4 mg

Carbohydrates:  46.4 g

Fiber:  2.4 g

Sugar:  11 g

Protein:  8.4 g

Banana Bread

My family loves banana bready; unfortunately, bananas rarely get ripe enough to make banana bread in my house.  My granddaughters love them, so they go quickly!  Recently, however, I found myself with a bunch of 6 bananas that were about to be too ripe to bake anything with.  I decided this was a perfect time to experiment.  I made two loaves; the first loaf followed the following recipe:

Banana Bread
    *Prep:  15 minutes
    *Cook:  55 minutes
    *Yield:  12 servings (depending upon how thick or thin you slice it!)
*Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
1 (6 ounce) container nonfat Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cooking spray
*Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, butter, eggs, bananas, yogurt, pecans, and vanilla in a large bowl.  Mix well (a mixer isn't necessary; I used a wooden spoon).  Pour batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean (I baked mine about 7 additional minutes; adjust to your oven).  Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan.  Cool completely on wire rack.

One of my granddaughters has an egg allergy, so for the second loaf I made the following substitutions: 
         *1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup Splenda replaced the 2 cups of sugar
         *3 teaspoons of Egg Replacer +4 tablespoons of water replaced the two eggs

As the two loaves baked, they both rose and browned beautifully; however, as the slimmed down version cooled, it fell flat which created a denser bread.  A subsequent "taste test" by family members rendered the verdict that both loaves tasted exactly the same; the only difference was that the loaf that uses part Splenda and Egg Replacer was flatter and denser.  I deem the experiment a success!

Green Smoothie

Who doesn't love a smoothie!  That professed love, though, often turning to loathing when the contents of the smoothie departs from the sugar-laden, fat-filled "fruit" drinks to one made with green vegetables.  I must confess that until recently, I, too, fell into the latter category.  I loved to drink smoothies make with milk, ice cream, and fruit but avoid any that contained vegetables--especially green vegetables!  However, I was wrong, and I'm glad to say that I'm now among those who really enjoy a good green smoothie!

One of the reasons I decided to try a spinach smoothie is because I've become more concerned about my health, but I realized that I just wasn't eating enough fruits and vegetables during the day.  It seemed like an impossible task to get in five servings of fruits and vegetables, and even if I bought them (in some vague dream world where I cooked them all), they generally ended up spoiling in the fridge.  That's just a waste of money, and they certainy weren't doing me or anyone else any good just sitting in the fridge.

I began to do some research, searching for a combination of greens and fruit that I thought I would be able to get down.  I initially settled on spinach because it's a nutritional powerhouse.  One cup of spinach has almost 20% of the RDA of dietary fiber, 40% of the RDA of magnesium, almost all the RDA of mangnese and folate, not mention all the Vitamins A and K it contains.  As for health benefits, spinach has been shown to help protect against prostrate and ovarian cancer and has anti-inflamatory properties.  It has also been shown to lower blood pressure and help protect brain function from premature aging as well as protecting bone density.  Recently, I've added kale to greens I use in the smoothie.  Kale is a powerhouse as well.  It is high in fiber and an excellent source of beta-carotene, which helps protect against cancer, heart disease, and certain age-related chronic diseases.  It is also helps protect against osteoporosis because kale is an excellent source of calcium. I also added Greek yogurt because of its high protein content.  Peanut butter was added to the ingredient list because, well, I like it and I thought it might help with the taste. Yes, peanut butter is high in calories and fat, but it has many health benefits.  First, it contains almost 7 grams of protein.  It also contains resveratrol, a natural antimicrobial agent.  In a 20 year study of 80,000 women, conducted by the Nurses Health Study, women who ate 1 ounce of peanuts and/or peanut butter had a 25% lower risk of developing gallstones.  Another study, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry found that the niacin in peanuts, when eaten regularly, provides protection against Alzheimer's disease.  Finally, to round out my smoothie mix, I throw in a couple handfuls of blueberries and frozen, sliced banana.  I now get the daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables in my breakfast drink!  Still, it's important to watch what you eat the remainder of the day; this smoothie doesn't give you license to eat with abandon! 

So, here's the recipe:

Spinach Smoothie

1 cup lowfat milk (I use 1%)
1 container of Greek yogurt (approx 6 oz. I also use all sorts of flavors)
1 Tablespoon of peanut butter
1/4 cup frozen blueberries (add more if you like; I use about 2 handfuls)
1 medium banana, sliced and frozen (slice before freezing; trust me on this one)
Kale & Spinach (approximately 3 cups, but I don't measure, I stuff my blender
           until I can't get any more in)

Hit the liquify button on you blender and blend until everything is smooth.  I usually stop my blender several times and push the spinach and kale down into the blender (but do be careful here--I chopped up a wooden spoon one time because I didn't wait for the blender to completely stop!).

I finally just made the decision that I was going to try one, so I bought the ingredients and chose a day that I would have time to eat something else for breakfast in case I hated the taste (which, of course, I was anticipating would happen). 

The milk, fruit, yogurt, and peanut butter really covers and "green" taste.  Enjoy!

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Over the past several years, I've made some significan changes in the food I serve my family, but I know those changes haven't been enough.  In theory, is seems as if serving fresh foods to your family would be easy; the reality is that it's not as easy as it seems.  Everyone is so busy that preparing home-cooked meals is really a challenge.  It's my intent to present healthful food that will be easy for anyone to prepare.  Today, I'm putting up a recipe for homemade tomato sauce that is simply delicious!  I used it today to make spaghetti sauce.  So here's the recipe:

Homemade Tomato Sauce
1 pound of tomatoes, halved
1 yellow onion, quartered
1 head of garlic, unpeeled
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 to 2 tablespoons water
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Placed the halved tomatoes, onions, and garlic cloves on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with half the olive oil and sprinkle with the herbs, salt, and pepper.  Toss to coat well.   Place the tomatoes cut-side down.

Cook for 2 hours, turning the tomatoes after 1 hour.  NOTE:  This is the point where an adjustment might be needed.  (For example, my oven cooks a bit slow, so I turned the heat up to 285 degrees F. for the second hour.)  After the second hour, remove the baking sheet and set aside the unpeeled garlic.  Place the rest of the vegetables and the pan juices in food processor or blender.  Add a tablespoon or two of water to the pan to scrape up any bits of flavor and add to the food processor.  Squeeze the roasted garlic into the food processor also.  Give the vegetables in the blender a drizzle of olive oil (I just circled the perimeter of the food processor a time or two).

Pulse the mixture untile chunky, or puree until smooth (which is the option I always choose), depending upon desired consistency.  Taste the sauce and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

At this point, after the sauce has cooled, it can be placed in freezer containers for future use.  I must admit that I made a large batch; I actually used 7 pounds of tomatoes, so the recipe can easily be multiplied.  The orginal recipe makes approximately 1 1/4 cups of sauce (my 7 pounds of tomatoes made about 14 cups of sauce).

Happy saucing!