Monthly Archives: December 2011

Dec31

Living Alone, or The Sacred Joys of Brunch

Posted on by
Standard
Living Alone, or The Sacred Joys of Brunch
Image

Me and David at Brunch on Christmas Eve 2011

I’ve spent a great deal of my life in full houses.

Only in the past 7 years have I spent any significant amount of time living alone; the rest of it has been filled with a big family and communal-living in places like Anthony Hall Dormitory (my undergrad home), The Opera House in Bardstown (not as great as it sounds), The Basement on Main (not as bad as it sounds, though one of my roommates lived in a cubicle we lovingly named “the Commodore 64”), and, of course, 820 Chipeta (much more on that in future blogs).

And now I have an empty house, and it suits me well.  However, the thing that I miss the most about living with roommates is meal times – not so much lunchtime, but definitely dinner-time, and especially Saturday brunch.

A few years ago, I realized that I needed to adjust my social life a bit.  It seems that when I stopped being an actor, my nights freed up exponentially, but I stopped going out.  I mean other than for employment purposes, I rarely left my house.  I recognized that I had become a bit of a hermit.  It became obvious to me that I desired a change, so I started pushing myself out the door a bit more.

The problem was that I didn’t really want to get out that much.

You see, while living a life “upon the wicked stage” with 8-shows-a-week and only Monday nights off, I started to believe that I wouldn’t ever have much of a home life – much less that I actually wanted one.  I went to work at 6 or 7 pm (if there were no rehearsal calls that day), was finished by 10 or 11pm, and then went out until 2 or 3 am only to get up around 10 am and start the day again.  A glorious life, but a bit upside-down.   But when academia became my principle job, I basically flipped my day right-side-up and suddenly added a great deal of nights and weekends to my free time.  Essentially, I had to learn how to be “normal”.  And when I did, I found that I really liked making and being in my home.  The only option was finding a balance of attending social gatherings while creating social interactions at home.

Last year around this time, my friend David and I started what has become a weekly tradition of Saturday morning brunch.  There are a group of people who make appearances at brunch from time to time, but David is the stalwart – always present and almost always the first to arrive.  For we who attend, brunch has become a time for coming together -often after a week or more of not seeing each other – and drinking coffee, laughing, sharing, and eating great and healthy food.  For me, its a time to recap the details of my week with friends, to hear about their week, to discuss different world views, and to celebrate the passing of another blessed cycle of days.  Brunch is a time when everyone feels welcome, greets each other with a smile and a hug, and relaxes and enjoys a good meal.

It is essentially everything that I miss about having roommates; love, understanding, camaraderie.  Only now, after brunch everyone leaves, and I am left in my peaceful home. 🙂

“A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.” – HH Dalai Lama

Image

Caole Lowry at New Year's Eve Brunch - with frozen raspberries covered in white chocolate and fresh blackberries and oranges!

This morning I was joined by David and my dear friend Caole Lowry (who brought these delicious raspberries covered in white chocolate and these magnificent blackberries and oranges).  We had such a wonderful talk about art projects and process; its always such a joy to be with Caole!

I got a hint from Clean Eating Magazine that suggested rolling your left-over dressing and frying them to make fritters.  I thought they were just a decent excuse for eating left-over dressing at breakfast, but Caole and David seemed to really enjoy them as a precursor.  We topped them with low-fat Greek yogurt (but you could use low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt as well) and the Cranberry-Pepper Jelly I made the other day – I must say I felt pretty ingenious!

Image

Dressing Fritters and Asparagus-Mushroom Frittata

I joined this with a frittata recipe that has become a much-loved staple on Saturdays.  Frittatas sound difficult, but they are not – they are simpler than omelets in my opinion, and always turn out great.  Also, you might be one of those that have a love/fear relationship with asparagus like I once did, but trust me when I say that this asparagus ALWAYS turns out great.  I use my cast iron skillet (also known as my best friend), but you can use any skillet that is oven proof.

Asparagus-Mushroom Frittata

This recipe came from a calendar put out by Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers last year, but I have adjusted it so much, that I call it mine.  Enjoy 🙂

1 tsp. olive oil

1 med. onion, sliced as thinly as possible

12 oz. mushrooms, sliced

1 lb. asparagus, cleaned with ends cut off, and sliced into 1 inch segments

4 eggs

8 egg whites (or you can substitute 4 more eggs)

Salt and Pepper

Reduced-fat Feta, or any kind of shredded cheese

2 tomatoes, thinly sliced (optional)

Heat oil in cast iron skillet.  Saute onions for 4 to 5 minutes.  Add mushrooms until softened; 1 to 2 minutes.  Add asparagus for 2 minutes.  Salt and Pepper to taste.  In a large bowl, beat eggs and whites until mixed.  Add salt and pepper to taste and pour over asparagus, mushroom, and onions.  Top with thin slices of tomatoes (try Romas) in one layer if you like.  Cover and lower heat, cooking for 15 minutes.  Turn on broiler and raise rack to 6 inches below burner (its the 2nd from the top in mine).  Once the 15 minutes has passed, remove lid (or in my case, plate) and eggs will be a bit runny on top.  Add feta (or other cheese) to top and slide under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes; keep an eye on it until it is nicely browned on top.  Carefully remove from the oven.  Run a knife alone the edges of skillet.  Place a plate over the top and flip frittata onto the plate – I promise it will be beautiful! Serve immediately.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Dec30

A Guy Who Loves A Good Sandwich

Posted on by
Standard
A Guy Who Loves A Good Sandwich
Image

Turkey Sandwich with Cranberry-Pepper Jelly

I love a good sandwich.

By this, I mean: I honestly could (and often do) live on sandwiches alone.  I love a fancy-schmancy deli sandwich made with specialty meats, cheeses, and veggies; and I love a simple, well-made bologna and cheese (yes, I did – I said, “bologna”).

For example, I scoffed at my friend Terril several years ago during one of my visits to see her in Jersey City, NJ; not because she was excited to take me to eat “the best sandwich ever made”, but that said “best sandwich” was at a local SUBWAY (the franchise, not the mode of transportation).  Consequently, I ate my words after seeing a pair of Indian men work like master craftsmen on my sandwich – that was the day that I understood the art of mindful sandwich-making.  With the same ingredients that you have at your local SUBWAY, these two gentlemen worked well-crafted magic with the mindfulness of Vedic meditation.  We ate there three days in a row, and every time every bite was a moment to stop and simply “be”.

Get it?  I love a good sandwich.

Do you know who else loved a good sandwich?  My Dad.  I remember having many conversations with Dad about our favorite sandwich ingredients, and more than one time I heard him speak passionately about the pleasures of a good pumpernickel rye.

He was always mostly silent when at the dinner table, but something about sandwiches or lunchtime made him even more contemplative.  Perhaps it was the brief pause in the middle of the work-day – a time for him to reorganize his thoughts to accomplish the afternoon’s tasks.  Or perhaps he was simply (as Thich Nhat Hanh would call it) mindfully eating a perfect sandwich.  Whichever it was, he had a peculiar way of eating a sandwich – always from the bottom up.  It was a joy to watch Dad eat a sandwich, because he looked like he was enjoying it.  He made it look so good that you then wanted one (even if you hadn’t been hungry to begin with).

Dad passed-away last month just before Thanksgiving, and on the flight from Oklahoma back to Colorado, I passed the time away by looking at “foodie porn” – also known as Bon Appetit, where food and photography come together to tempt the senses.  Flipping through the pics and recipes, I found a picture for an amazing left-over turkey sandwich featuring Cranberry-Pepper Jelly.  I immediately imagined telling that to Dad and hearing his “oooh” of curiosity and approval.  The spicy mixed in with the sweet and the tart was very appealing, so I ear-marked the page for future use.

It proved to be great, and I’m excited to share it with you today.  I made it on Wednesday night, and have enjoyed it for the past two lunches.  The sandwich you see above is roasted turkey with spinach, reduced-fat olive oil mayo, and the Cranberry-Pepper Jelly (recipe below) on day-old ciabatta bread from Main Street Bagels on Main Street in Grand Junction, CO.

The best part is that it is versatile, and I have two great ideas coming up in the next two days of other ways to use this sweet/tart/spicy treat.  Enjoy! 🙂

Image

Roasted turkey, reduced-fat olive oil mayo, cranberry-pepper jelly (recipe below), and day-old ciabatta bread.

Cranberry-Pepper Jelly

I made this on Wednesday night, and had such a great time watching it progress (see the slide show below).  I had never made jelly before, but this recipe was very simple.  The recipe calls for red bell peppers and red jalapenos, but I couldn’t  find red jalapenos and the red bell peppers were $2 each versus the green bell peppers at $.79 each (which I’m sure would have made the end product’s color a more vibrant red than the deep purple that it became).  I do feel that the recipe was a bit mild and will use three jalapenos next time and add another 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes.  I did not substitute the sugar for this recipe, but might try it next time with sucanat.

 

3 red bell peppers, finely chopped (or green if you aren’t worried about the vibrant red color)

2 red Fresno chiles or red jalapenos, finely chopped and seeded (again, I used green and next time will use THREE instead of two for a bit more spice)

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup liquid pectin (found in the “canning” section of your grocery)

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

3 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen & thawed

Put bell peppers, jalapenos, sugar, red pepper flakes, and salt in a heavy wide pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer until sugar is dissolved.  Stir in liquid pectin and lemon juice, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir in cranberries and simmer until cranberries burst and juices thicken for 10 more minutes (mine took longer).  Transfer jelly to a jar and allow to cool before covering and refrigerating.  It will be good for 3 weeks in the refrigerator.  The article said that it makes 2 1/2 cups, but my yield was definitely 3 1/2 cups.  I love the magazine Bon Appetit; this recipe came from their November 2011 issue and can be found on their website as well. 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Dec29

A Mostly-Vegetarian Christmas (with a little “gluten-free” thrown in)

Posted on by
Standard
A Mostly-Vegetarian Christmas (with a little “gluten-free” thrown in)
Image

The enormous spread at Christmas Dinner

Image

Beth, me, and Kellie

Choosing to stay home for the holidays at the last minute, I wasn’t sure how I wanted to celebrate this year.  Fortunately, my dear friend Beth McBride invited me to Christmas Dinner with her family, and I quickly accepted.

I have known Beth and her kids – Bryan, Ben, and Bailey – since my first Christmas in Grand Junction nine years ago.  In 2002, I was hired in by The Cabaret Dinner Theatre as a featured actor in a holiday production of Annie Get Your Gun in which all three of the kids (who looked so much alike that they were interchangeable on-stage) were cast as Annie Oakley’s kid siblings.  Since then, all four of them have taken classes with me, and we have grown so close that I consider them and Beth’s partner Kellie a part of the family…or rather, I feel part of theirs.  So, I looked forward to a great time with lots of laughs and great food.

I was to bring two dishes.  Both Beth and Kellie are vegetarians – which is an adjustment I make frequently with no difficulty.  However, Kellie has a gluten intolerance, and since I had my heart set on making a Gingerbread Cake (a cake I had never made before and was nervous about adjusting with gluten-free alternatives on the first time), I decided to clean up Mama’s Broccoli Casserole.

In this instance, the gluten-free adjustments were a cinch, but with a cup of mayo, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and a cup of cheddar cheese, I new a little cleaning could make this casserole even tastier and a whole lot less fat-filled.  The mayo and the cheese were easy fixes (see below for adjustments), but mushroom soup has flour AND a lot of fat.  I studied making a homemade cream of mushroom to substitute, but they all require flour to create the roue (sauce, gravy, etc.).  I did however find an organic, gluten-free cream of mushroom soup at the store that was actually a 1/4 of the fat in comparison to the regular cans.  The next time I make this, I will make my own mushroom soup using the cream of celery soup recipe but substituting 1 lb of mushrooms (sauteed) for the celery.

Some people think of green been casserole when they think of their holiday feast traditions, but at my Mom’s table, it’s always been about the broccoli casserole.  Enjoy 🙂

Mama’s Broccoli Casserole

20 oz of fresh steamed broccoli (Mom’s recipe calls for 2 10-oz packages of frozen broccoli, cooked as directed and drained)

2 eggs, well-beaten (you can also use 1 egg and 2 egg whites for less fat)

1 cup reduced-fat, olive oil mayonaisse (I actually only had 3/4 cup when I made it, so I stirred in a 1/4 cup of low-fat Greek yogurt)

1 can cream of mushroom soup (go low-fat if you can find it)

1 cup 2% sharp cheddar cheese (I actually think the cheeses made from 2% milk fat are more tasty than the full-fat versions)

1 medium onion chopped

Ritz Crackers (I got really clever here; I put gluten-free sesame crackers in the food processor until they were crumbs, and then through in 1 tbsp of butter to mix thoroughly – worked like a charm)

Cook the broccoli.  Preheat oven to 325.  Mix eggs, mayo, mushroom soup, cheese, and onion together and then add drained broccoli.  Pour into a baking dish (sprayed with olive oil cooking spray) and bake for about 30 minutes.  Then top with crushed crackers and bake 15 minutes longer.

PS –  I somehow managed to NOT take a picture of this dish – unheard of, but still…I did capture a photo of this special occasion – Ben’s first prime rib!  Beth and Kelli decided to let the kids choose a meat dish to add to the table for their non-vegetarian enjoyment.  Ben accepted the challenge and married himself to the Food Network.  It paid off; great job, Ben!

Image

We all greeted Ben at the door as he came from his house with the prized prime rib. Bryan was a bit more excited than the rest.

Image

Bailey, Kellie, Beth, Lyzz (Bryan's girlfriend), Ben, and Bryan

Dec28

Turkey Stock

Posted on by
Standard
Image

Simmering away...

I have over the past couple years been trying to become more efficient – more “green” you might say.  I recycle.  I have an indoor worm composting bin (more about this later).  And most importantly, I try to not throw away food.  I enjoy roasting a whole turkey or chicken because of the number of meals you can serve and the variety of things that you can do with all that cooked meat.  Using the carcass to make stock has always appealed to me, but seemed too difficult.  I was wrong.  I froze about 78 oz. of stock for soup this coming winter; when you consider the cost of stocks in stores is from $2.00 to $4.00 for 32 oz., I think I probably will save around $5 – $6 off of a $16 bird that I will have already eaten over the course of several meals.  Some of you are thinking, “He sounds like his Grandpa Ballard,” and you would be right; Grandpa would be pleased.

This easy stock recipe is from The Joy of Cooking (p.118); it is for use with any type of poultry carcass.  The recipe that appears below is how I made it, and most of the changes are in the spices I used.  The recipe called for a [ ] and (in the magnificence that is The Joy of Cooking) then a gave a recipe for how to make one.  I didn’t have all the seasonings, so I just seasoned it myself – which is what I suggest that you do as well.  Enjoy 🙂

Turkey Stock

1 cooked turkey carcass (3-25 lbs.; increase the other ingredients accordingly – mine was an 8lb turkey breast carcass)

1 celery rib, chopped

1 large onion, unpeeled and quartered

2 carrots, chopped

4 black peppercorns

Seasonings – Thyme, Italian Seasoning, and Bay Leaves

Break up carcass; place pieces in stock pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil; then turn down heat and allow to simmer for 1 – 1 1/2 hours*.  Add vegetables and seasonings and continue simmering for another 1 1/2 hours.  Strain broth; cool uncovered; cover and put in refrigerator (up to 3 days) or freezer (up to 6 months).

*Be sure to frequently skim the scum off the top.  “Scum” is the vocabulary chosen by The Joy of Cooking, not me!

Dec28

For the Love of Left-Overs!

Posted on by
Standard
Image

This gorgeously clean improvement on my Dad and Grandpa's old favorite.

The Alchemist’s Kitchen is open again!

This is the first of three posts (over the next three days) to cover all the celebratory cooking that has taken place here since the Holiday Weekend began.  I’m starting at the most recent and working my way backwards to Christmas Eve Brunch.  Why?  Because I love left-overs.  I love left-overs to such a high degree that we should consider moving in together …and truth be told, we already have.

Seriously.  After attending a wonderful (mostly-vegetarian) Christmas feast with my dear friend Beth’s family on Sunday (be sure to read more about this in tomorrow’s post), I came home and cooked a turkey breast and dressing the day after.  That’s how much I love left-overs; and believe me, they have really paid off!

Having cooked and carved the turkey on Monday, I used the carcass and left-over vegetables in the fridge to make homemade Turkey Stock (a recipe from The Joy of Cooking that was so ridiculously easy, that I will never throw a carcass away again without having mined this “future-soup gold”).

But the real joy of yesterday’s foodie-fest was this new recipe from Clean Eating Magazine (December 2011) – Turkey Pot Pie with Pumpkin Crust!  My Mom and I just had a conversation about both my Dad and my Grandpa’s love for those frozen, fat-filled delectables you get in the store; despite our disgust,  we both had fond memories of them.  This recipe tastes exactly like you want a pot pie to taste – whether your the lover of home-made or store-bought varieties – but doesn’t have the fat and overly-processed foods.  I hope you enjoy as much as I did…and still am.  🙂

Turkey Pot Pie with Pumpkin Crust

CRUST

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, plus additional

2 tsp dried sage

1tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp olive oil buttery spread (I actually used low-fat with flax seed oil)

1 1/2 cups fresh or jarred pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling – I did use the Libby’s that I buy FOR pumpkin pie, though)

This is really so simple.  Mix the flour, sage, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl with a fork.  Mash up buttery spread in the flour mixture with a fork until crumbly.  Add pumpkin puree and stir until flour is blended and mixture in again crumbly.  Take your hand and knead the dough together a bit (don’t over-work it.  Wrap it in plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, and for up to 1 day.*

FILLING

1tsp olive oil

1 white onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds

2 stalks celery, sliced into crescents

1 1/2 cups cut and stemmed green beans (I used frozen thawed – and next time, I’m just gonna use whatever veggie I have in the house)

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (thawed, if frozen)

2 tbsp whole-wheat four

1 cup 1% milk

1 tsp dried tarragon

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 1/2 lb cooked boneless, skinless turkey (I only used 1 1/4 lb. and it was PLENTY meaty enough; in the future, I will probably make this with just 1 lb. of chicken)

olive oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375.  In a dutch oven (or big sauce pan), heat oil and then cook onions until soft (5 or so minutes).  Add carrots, celery, green beans, and corn – cook for 10 minutes and stir frequently – veggies should be slightly tender.  Sprinkle 2 tbsp of flour over veggies mixing constantly to coat well.  Then add milk and bring to a simmer, then lower heat and cook until milk is saucy and veggies are well-coated – 5 or so minutes).  Stir in tarragon, salt, pepper, and turkey, and remove from heat.

Roll out dough on a floured surface; using a rolling pin and additional flour, roll out dough until 1/4 inch thick.  Cover your dish with cooking spray.  Here, I cut out the top of the crust, and then rolled out the left-over scraps for a bottom crust.

Image

Roll out after 30 minutes chilling...

Fill the pie plate** with the veggie mixture…

Image

...pour in the filling....

Image

...and cover, crimp, and ventilate!

…and top with the crust, cutting off the excess around the sides, and crimping with a fork if you like.  Also, cut six vents into the top.  Put in the oven and cook for 25 – 30 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes before serving.  Let me know how it goes! 🙂

* Next time, I will use up the entire can and make a little extra crust to completely cover the bottom of the dish.

** I should tell you that the original recipe called for this to be in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish; I used my pie plate – it worked just fine.

Dec22

Happy Winter Solstice 2011!!!

Posted on by
Standard
Image

Delectable treats and the name card I decorated for Caole's Solstice Party tonight.

The Winter Solstice reminds us of the hardships our ancestors faced through the deep winter months; starvation during the months of January through April was common and required 9 months of preparation to stave off the famine.  For millenia, feasts performed during this period have (in addition to spiritual and religious celebration) served as the final celebration of the harvest and all the work that has been done to keep people alive.  Portions of the livestock were slaughtered (in order to keep from having to feed them) and once-a-year there was an abundance of meat.  The celebration and farewell to the warmth of the sun, the gathering of loved ones, the easy-breath that comes from a sense of abundance, and carefree days of before.  The 3rd Century Romans referred to it as Dies Natali Solis Invicti or “festival of the rebirth of the unconquered sun”.  The Winter Solstice serves as both funeral and celebration of birth – as release from the past and propulsion into the new now.

I take a moment on “the longest day” to look back on the year that just passed me by so quickly.  I take a moment to remember friends and loved ones who have come and gone; to recall the darkened depths to which I plummeted and the joyous first glimpse of light; remember the special moments, and the laughter, and the tears.  I take a moment to be grateful for each of my friends and each moment that occurred this past year.  And then I look forward into this new year with gusto and excitement.

I celebrated this evening at the Winter Solstice Party at my friend Caole Lowry’s magical home overlooking the river!  There was a magnificent turkey (more to follow about that soon), an array of dressings and salads, and a group of desserts.  My contribution tonight was these Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies and this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake.


Dec22

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted on by
Standard
Image

Two kinds of chocolate, walnuts, and fresh cranberries make this frequently referred to as "The Best Cookie I've Ever Eaten!" 🙂

When I moved to Grand Junction, Colorado just over 9 years ago, it was my first time to experience the Holiday season without my family.  I was working at The Cabaret Dinner Theatre for the first 4 Christmases that I lived in town, so going home wasn’t an option money-wise or time-wise.  So it became important in those first two years for me to build my own Holiday traditions with remnants of my childhood traditions intermingled.  While performing 8-shows-a-week performances of either Annie, Get Your Gun or The Sound of Music, my good friend Ruthmary Allison brought in a batch of these marvelous cookies, and I moaned and groaned and exclaimed that it was “the best cookie I’ve ever eaten”.  She agreed to give me the recipe (the notes she gave me are in my Recipe Journal and can be seen below), and this cookie immediately became a part of my personal traditions and my family’s traditions.

And besides…even at tonight’s party, all but two were eaten and no less than three people told me that it was “the best cookie “I’ve ever eaten!”

Over the years, I’ve made some adjustments through trial and a vast amount of error.  The problem with cookies lies in the fact that they NEED butter – that’s what makes them a cookie.  In addition, cookies are one of those baked items in which you CANNOT exchange the white flour for whole wheat flour (something about the finer nature of wheat and gluten contents, blah, blah, blah).  So compromises have been made:

  • while the original recipe calls for 1 cup of butter, I use 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup lowfat plain yogurt (NOT Greek yogurt – trust me…it does NOT work!)
  • the original recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups flour, but I use 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter, unsalted
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 1/3 cup sucanat (originally 2/3 cup sugar and 2/3 cup brown sugar)
1 egg
2 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup fresh cranberries (halved)
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream butter, yogurt, sucanat, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl.  Mix oatmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt in another bowl.  Mix dry ingredients into wet mixture.  Fold cranberries, chocolate chips, and nuts into batter.  Drop onto greased cookie sheet or cookie sheet covered in parchment paper and bake for 10-14 minutes.

Between batches, be sure to flip the cookie sheet over the sink and run cold water over the bottom to cool it back down – trust me; it makes a big difference!

* I am still in weight-loss mode, so I am constantly on the look out for ways to cut out fat.  The original recipe calls for 2 eggs, but I have found that as long as you include one yolk, you can pretty much eliminate all other yolks from the recipe and by doubling the amount of egg whites.  In other words, for ever whole egg you remove you replace it with two egg whites.  Since a great majority of the fat in an egg is found in the yolk, this drops the points value quite a bit.
Image

Entry from Recipe Journal dated "Friday, December 17, 2010" and including Ruthmary Allison's original notes to me from 2003(?).

Dec22

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

Posted on by
Standard
Image

The cake was decorated with pomegranates by Caole upon arrival to the party tonight - gorgeous and tasty!

For as long as I can remember, this hearty cake has been a part of my family’s winter celebrations – we would have it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and my birthday in February (Tangent: While I was in college, mom would bake one and send it to me wrapped in a tin before or on February 16th!).  In fact, the picture below shows the page in my day planner (back when I was at Ouachita, 14 or 15 years ago) that I wrote down the recipe as Mom dictated the ingredients over the phone!

Last Thanksgiving when my parents came to visit, I had been on Weight Watchers for nearly 9 months, so it was imperative to me that I find substitutes for the full cup of vegetable oil and the two cups of refined white flour that bothered me the most as  far as fat content and “points value”.  Below I have my version of the Franklin Family favorite with the original ingredients being substituted explained in footnotes below.  I have to say that the sucanat (evaporated cane juice) tastes more like molasses or sorghum and makes the cake richer and less sweet; while the semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli and it makes a huge difference) blended with the pumpkin and the fresh spices makes for a savory flavor you can build a tradition on.  (I know…that was corny…I’ll work on it; I promise)

 Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or 2 cups of all-purpose white flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups sucanat (or just plain old sugar or other preferred sugar substitute for baking)
1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of cloves
1/4 tsp of ginger
1/4 tsp of all-spice
1 egg
6 egg whites*
1 cup of apple sauce (instead of 1 cup of oil)
2 cups of pumpkin
1 cup of bran flakes (look for these in a grocery store with a good bulk items section – i.e. Whole Foods, Vitamin Cottage – or use all bran cereal and grind it up)
12 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Pre-heat oven to 350.  Mix the flour, baking powder & soda, sucanat, and spices with a whisk in a large bowl.  In another large bowl mix the eggs, apple sauce, pumpkin, and bran flakes.  Mix the dry ingredients into the liquid mix.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Put into large cake pan for an hour; or divide into two smaller cake pans for 40 minutes; or divide into muffin pans for 25 minutes.  All times may vary; if in doubt, use the toothpick trick to make sure the batter is cooked all the way through.
* I am still in weight-loss mode, so I am constantly on the look out for ways to cut out fat.  The original recipe calls for 4 eggs, but I have found that as long as you include one yolk, you can pretty much eliminate all other yolks from the recipe and by doubling the amount of egg whites.  In other words, for ever whole egg you remove you replace it with two egg whites.  Since a great majority of the fat in an egg is found in the yolk, this drops the points value quite a bit.  This recipe could use this new substitution rule in this way also:
1 eggs and 6 egg whites
2 eggs and 4 egg whites
3 eggs and 2 egg whites
4 eggs
Image

The entry in my Recipe Journal for "Wednesday, December 15, 2010".