One Sunny Home: December 2011

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Festive Strawberry Square Cake

If you are anything like me, you're probably been a little busy these last couple of days :) I must admit, my family and I have not been following the plant based diet as strictly as before the holiday week...but my passion for sharing recipes is still burning! That is why I am going to share with you this wonderful recipe! This recipe uses a delicious and heavenly light saffron biscuit cake cut into squares, coated with light-sweet cream, and layered with fresh strawberries! This would be perfect for Valentine's day or any other day you want to turn into an extraordinary one!!

Cake:

Cream:

For decoration reserve 1 or 2 strawberries.

Lay flat on a cutting board and make half-cuts to make a "fan."

To prepare the cake: (You can bake the cake ahead of time and store in the refrigerator.)

1. Carefully separate all egg yolks from egg whites. Place egg whites into a mixer and beet on high until they turn white and fluffy: 4-5 minutes. Add sugar slowly and continue to mix another 4-5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile using a spoon combine baking powder with egg yolks, mix well.

3. Turn mixer to low speed and SLOWLY add the yolk mixture into the egg whites and sugar mixture. It is important to add slowly, a tablespoon at a time.

4. Turn the mixer off and using a big spoon mix in the sifted flour. Mix in very slowly, 1-2 tablespoons at a time and only in ONE DIRECTION (clockwise works best for me). This is very important or your cake will not rise properly and will be very dense. Take your time, it's worth it...trust me. This process will take about 5-7 minutes.

5. When all the flour is mixed in, CAREFULLY transfer the batter into a foil lined square or circle baking pan: I used a 9-inch circle pan.

6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 17-20 minutes. NO PEEKING! Do not open the oven the first 15 minutes of baking or the cake will be flat! The top should be pink/peach color. The cake will rise a good bit. Take out of pan and cool completely in the foil.

7. Cut the cooled cake into squares.

To prepare the cream:

1. Using a mixer, beat cream on medium speed until it turns fluffy white.

2. Add sugar a couple of tablespoons at a time.

3. Add vanilla and lemon juice and continue to beat for another 1-2 minutes.

To assemble the cake in a pyramid shape:

1. Coat the cake squares in cream and lay out in a layer on a plate you're going to serve the cake on. Sprinkle with a layer of strawberries, follow by nuts.

2. To form the second layer simply repeat the steps from above only make the circle slightly smaller in diameter than the previous layer. Again, sprinkle with strawberries and follow by nuts. Repeat until you use up all the cake squares and strawberries: making each layer slightly smaller in diameter to form a pyramid shaped cake.

3. If you have extra cream left, "patch up" any bare areas. Drizzle melted chocolate/chocolate syrup. Sprinkle with additional nuts and add a fanning strawberry at the top and one of the sides.

4. Refrigerate cake for at least an hour before serving. The cake can be refrigerated for up to 6 hours...more is not recommended because strawberries will begin to give out juices.

I hope this will inspire you to celebrate the coming of the New Year!! Happy New Year to all my dear readers! I wish the New Year brings you lots of happiness and joy! May God shower His abundant blessings upon you all year round!!

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Strawberry Square Cake Preview

Merry Christmas my lovely readers!! I am so thankful to God that He loved humanity so much that He sent His Son to save us. I hope you are having a wonderful time celebrating the season with family and friends this holiday season!!

As a gift, here is a peak at my next recipe...a deliciously moist strawberry square cake just in time for the New Year's party...check back soon ;)

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Festive Truffles with Chia Seeds (Gluten-Free)

My little sister made these wonders in a matter of 20 minutes and ofcourse I had to have the recipe!! Now these healthy truffles are a recipe to which I come back to very often! I love the fact that there is no butter or sugar involved. Not only are these easy and quick to make but they are scrumptious and filling! These festive truffles are not overwhelmingly sweet and go wonderful with a cup of tea or coffee! (I am sorry I don't have step-by-step pictures, I was in a hurry to make these for a party...)

Makes ~20 small truffles

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Blend peanuts and dates in a food processor until they reach a smooth texture.

2. Mix in the coconut milk, carob, and chis seeds. It'll take a few minutes of mixing until everything is smooth, don't be tempted to add more milk.

3. Form dough into small balls and roll in shredded coconut. (It helps if you have an extra set of hands: one person forms balls and the other coats the ready truffles in coconut.) I used sweetened-medium size, but it's really up to you. The sweetened coconut will add sweetness to the truffles. But you can also use unsweetened large flakes.

Give these delights a try and feel good about treating yourself to something sweet this holiday season!

Monday, December 12, 2011

Stuffed Acorn Squash

As fall approached I searched to find a perfect recipe for stuffed acorn squash. Something "meaty" without the meat! As time went on, I thought to myself "why not create one!?!" So I did! The stuffed squash turned out really nice with the authentic fall/winter flavors and colors. I was really pleased!!

Serves 2

Directions:

1. Wash the squash and cut into two. Scrape out the seeds (wash and bake the seeds for a tasty snack or a delicious topping for salad!) Place squash halves, cut side down in a glass casserole dish with about 4 tablespoons of water. Bake at 350 degrees F until flesh is soft: 25-35 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, rinse rice in cold water. Cook rice in a pot with 1 cup of water. I like to add a small piece of kombu while cooking rice.

3. While rice and squash are cooking, prepare your vegetables: carrot, celery, onion, green onions. To add a "meaty" taste to stuffed squash I added a veggie patty, this really gives it a kick! To make it simple, just use a store bought veggie patty: break it into small pieces.

4. Using a skillet on medium-low heat with a tablespoon of olive oil, sauté vegetables and veggie patty for 4-6 minutes, until carrots are barely soft. Add 2-5 tablespoons of water if needed to prevent from sticking.

5. Add cooked rice and mix well. Season with seasoning salt, add additional salt and black pepper as needed. Because everything is cooked through, feel free to taste the "stuffing" and adjust as needed.

6. At this point you're ready to stuff the squash with your "stuffing." Another option is to carefully scrape out the soft flesh out of the squash and mash it into the stuffing; then scoop the stuffing into the hollow squash. I left the flesh as is and added the rice stuffing: as on the pictures. Depending on your squash size, you might have extra "stuffing." You can eat it as it..it is delicious! Or roast a bell pepper and stuff that!

7. Place stuffed squash in to a glass casserole dish. Add 1/2 a teaspoon of butter on top of squash if desired. I think it helps "marry" all the flavors! Return the casserole to the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for additional 20-30 minutes. All the ingredients are cooked, they just need to "marry."

Serve with a simple green salad and your meal is complete!! Enjoy!

Saturday, December 10, 2011

DYK: Natural MSG

Did you know there is a natural way to enhance the flavor of your food? You probably heard of MSG or monosodium glutamate...the bad toxic stuff. Well there is a seaweed that is called kombu that contains glutamic acid which is a natural flavor enhancer and food tenderizer. Kombu is a type of seaweed that is rich in many minerals and has many medicinal benefits. (Check with your doctor if kombu is right for your if you have any chronic conditions: especially thyroid disorders.)

To use kombu simply add a small strip to soups, stewed vegetables, or grains as they cook. I love to add it to dried beans when cooking to tenderize them. When your dish is complete, simply remove the seaweed strip before serving, just like a bay leaf.

Kombu is sold in many varieties: dry strips, very fine strands, powdery form, and root. I use the dry strips. You can order them online or find them at your local natural/Asian store. Store covered, in a cool, dark place.

Go ahead, give it a try and your taste buds will thank you!!

Friday, December 9, 2011

Tofu Stir-Fry

This is a simple yet delicious Tofu stir-fry! I love stir-fry for its endless variations. I made this one with a zucchini, onion, bell pepper, carrot, and corn...but feel free to experiment and try out different variations. This is also wonderful over cooked rise, my two-year-old ordered spaghetti...so we had to come to a compromise!

Serves 4

Marinade for Tofu:

Directions:

1. Prepare marinade in a small cup and poor over tofu cubes. Allow to marinade while you prepare the rest of the vegetables.

2. Season cut vegetables with your favorite seasoning salt. Heat your wok over high heat.

3. Add marinated tofu (with marinade) into the wok and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until most of the juices evaporate; carefully mixing occasionally. Transfer cooked tofu into a clean plate. Leave the remaining oils/marinade in the wok.

4. Add seasoned vegetables into the hot wok; sauté on medium-high heat mixing occasionally. If needed, add a few tablespoons of lemon juice, soy sauce, or water. You may want to cover with a lid and allow the vegetables to cook slightly: 5-7 minutes.

5. When vegetables are cooked, yet a little crispy return cooked tofu to the wok and mix. Remove from heat. Serve over cooked rise or spaghetti. Try sprinkling with fresh green herbs like cilantro or parsley, or add a little crunch with sesame seeds. Add soy sauce if desired.

I hope you will give this light, yet tasty simple stir-fry a try! Happy Friday Everyone!!!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Making a Difference THIS Christmas...

It is about 18 days until Christmas! How are your preparations coming along? I would like to take the time to post my reflections on the magical season. God is touching my heart in a special way this Christmas. I have a stronger tug on my heart to serve the less fortunate this holiday season.

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me." ...'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'"

Matthew 25: 35, 36 & 40 (ESV)

After researching the opportunities how my family could make a difference this holiday season; I decided to post it for all my readers in hope that you too will be encouraged to make someones Christmas a little brighter! Short on cash, don't worry you can still make a difference! I linked the websites to each project, just click on the bold title.

If you have a little extra cash:

1. Angel Tree: A Program of Prison Fellowship is a non-profit that focuses on children whose parents are incarcerated. After imprisoned parent requests The Angel Tree to be involved in their child's live, the Christmas gift is given to boys and girls addressed from their parents. But that's not all, the program also gives the best gift-the gift of the Gospel. Children stay connected to their parents, even while incarcerated and often reunite with a born-again parent with the help of Prison Fellowship...giving everyone a second chance.

2. Be a Santa to a Senior: Home Instead Senior Care. A non-profit program that identifies local seniors who might not otherwise receive a gift this holiday season and places their gift request on a paper ornament. You can find these "ornaments" at participating locations such as grocery stores, banks, medical offices, and other like businesses. Simply buy the requested items (slip in a luxury item or two) and return to the participating location. You can find participating locations at the website: http://www.beasantatoasenior.com Shed a light into a senior's life...a generation which gave so much to this country and generation!

3. Angel Giving Tree: The Salvation Army. Many of you probably are familiar with this project. The Salvation Army makes paper ornaments with children's request of gift. You can donate online, or find a participating business. Simply fill the request and return to the participating business or The Salvation Army directly. This was the program that gave my family gifts the first year after moving to the States from Kazakhstan. It was magical for us kids to receive so many toys at once! Heartwarming and touching for our parents who had so little at the time, who for sure couldn't afford Christmas gifts.

4. Heifer Project: my husband and I first learned about this project as newlyweds. The non-profit-international program focuses on empowering families worldwide to be self-reliant through providing live stock, bees, trees, seeds, basket kits, and other items along with proper training how the struggling families can produce food and sell/exchange excess. "If there is one thing I could give to the struggling people of the world it would be self-reliance. Everyone deserves the dignity of providing for themselves and their families. That's why I support Heifer International." - Walter Cronkite, journalist and Heifer supporter.

If you don't have the extra cash...you could still make a difference:

1. Adopting someone for holiday dinner. Look at your circle of acquaintances with new eyes. Do you know a college student who can't travel home this Christmas? A co-worker with no relatives? Perhaps new neighbors in the house next door? A recently widowed church member? Think of them as extended family-and invite them to share your holiday dinner.

2. Writing a letter to a teacher/mentor. On Thanksgiving day NPR hosted a story on teachers in American and how they make a world of a difference to this country. NPR's phone lines flooded with grateful listeners sharing their stories on how real teachers made a difference in their lives. It made me realize that there were a few teachers and religious mentors in my life that made a huge difference! Taking a greeting card, or just a plane piece of paper and writing a simple letter of thanks will not cost you more than a price of today's postage stamp, but it will warm the heart of a teacher/mentor this holiday season.

3. Volunteer your time at a local shelter, soup kitchen, non-profit organization like The Salvation Army. Volunteering will not cost you a penny, but it will make a world of a difference to the people in need and your own heart.

I hope this short list will get you thinking of how you could focus on others this holiday season.

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men"

Colossians 3:23 (ESV)

Monday, December 5, 2011

Journey to Awareness (part one)

As many of you probably know, recently my family has been adopting a new diet-a Plant Based Diet. In the following series of posts I would like to share the reasons for my family’s decision to change the way we eat. I will be posting our journey in multiple, short posts not to bore you…but to keep it concise and allow you to think over the material for yourself.

Our journey started after my husband and I watched a documentary titled “Forks Over Knives.” The film was sponsored in part by Harrisonburg Farmers Market. Here is the trailer:

I highly recommend this documentary!!! You can watch it through Netflix. Even if you are certain that you will not be changing your diet…PLEASE consider watching it. The film made me think about a lot of things. Honestly, at first I did not know what to do with all the information. There were two things that bothered me the most:

1. How come I have heard so little about this topic? Though being from a medical background-I seldom heard about diet as the primary contributor to our health conditions. I see families struggle while watching their loved ones suffer through some of the diseases mentioned in the film…yet rarely does diet come up in the treatment plan.

2. After learning about the strong correlation between diet and health, what am I going to do now? The options were: do I ignore this or look into it deeper and possibly make a change.

After thinking over the matter and talking to my husband the decision was clear-we could not ignore this! We had a mutual agreement that it will be in our best interest to educate ourselves about the food we consume as a family.

to be continued...

Are you comfortably unaware about your food?

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Holiday Biscotti

Growing up I remember Christmas being a very special time of the year. Everything was special!! Part of me wants to think perhaps it was the child in me who was so captivated. Yet I know there was someone there who made the time so special. For me it was my tenderhearted mother. This I realized only after I moved out of my parent's house and started to create a home of my own. I remember the very first Christmas as a newlywed...there was a desire to make it special...memorable...and sentimental. I decided to make some Lemon-Pistachio Biscotti. Since that time, almost 5 years went by and every Christmas season I make a batch of these wonderful delights! This Biscotti is perfect with a morning coffee or an afternoon cup of tea. I sometimes make these to make an ordinary day extraordinary...filled with memories of past times.

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Beat butter with an electric mixer until butter becomes lighter in color, about a minute. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined.

2. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and beat until combined.

My son helping to make the tradion happen!

3. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a spatula, stir in the remaining flour. Stir in the lemon peel, pistachio nuts, and cranberries.

4. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Shape into a 12-inch-long roll. Place on a prepared (greased cookie sheet: I use a silicon mat) cookie sheet and flatten slightly until about 4 1/2 inches wide.

5. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and tops are slightly cracked. Cool on cookie sheet for 30 minutes.

6. Using a serrated knife cut each roll diagonally into an inch slices. Place slices, cut side down, on the cookie sheets. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 10 minutes. Turn slices over and back additional 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

7. Dip ends into or drizzle cool biscotti with lemon icing: recipe below.

Lemon Icing: In a small bowl stir together 1 cup sifted powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel. Stir in enough milk or lemon juice (1 to 2 tablespoons) to make icing of drizzling consistency.

I hope you will give these wonderful treats a try! May this holiday season be a memorable one...may your heart be filled with simple joys and laughter!! Happy December everyone!

Original recipe adopted from from New Cook Book, Bridal Edition.