SUMMER OF SECRETS Recipes

Dense and chewy with whole grains, this makes awesome toast for breakfast, or a great go-along for soups and salads. Flaxseed replaces the oil and eggs used in other quick breads.

1 ½ C. whole wheat flour
1 C. all-purpose flour
2/3 C. packed brown sugar
½ C. old-fashioned oats
1/3 C. ground flaxseed or flaxseed meal
1 tsp. salt
1 2/3 C. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350º. Coat an 8×4” bread pan with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, oats, flaxseed and salt. Stir in the buttermilk just until mixed. Pour batter into the pan and sprinkle with 1 T. oats. Bake about 45 minutes or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan to cool on a rack. Cool completely—at least 2 hours—before slicing.

Kitchen Hint: No buttermilk? Stir 2 T. white vinegar or lemon juice into milk and let stand 5 minutes. This bread freezes well, so I always double the recipe.

Tart and creamy-sweet. If you don’t have fresh rhubarb, frozen works well.

Crust: (makes enough for 2 double-crust pies)
3 C. flour
1 ½ C. Crisco
2 T. sugar
½ tsp. each baking powder and salt
½ C. cold water

Cut Crisco into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or food processor until well mixed.
Add water and mix well.

Filling:
3 T. flour
2 eggs
½ tsp each nutmeg and cinnamon
1 ½. C. sugar
1 T. butter/margarine
3 ½ C. cut-up rhubarb

Preheat oven to 400º. Blend flour, eggs, sugar, spices, and butter. Add rhubarb. Fit bottom crust into a 10” pie plate and pour in the filling. Criss-cross/weave strips of dough on top. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, if desired. Bake 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350º and bake 25 more minutes.

Kitchen Hints: Placing strips of foil around the edge of the crust keeps it from getting too brown. Put the pie on a baking sheet to keep any run-over from burning on the bottom of your oven

Dense and sweet, these loaves freeze well. Try a slice toasted!

2 C . sugar
3 eggs
1 C. oil
2 tsp. vanilla
2 C. grated zucchini
2 C. whole wheat flour
1 C. white flour
1 T. cinnamon
¼ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 C. raisins or dried cranberries
1 C. chopped nuts, optional

Preheat the oven to 350º. In a mixing bowl, blend the sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Add zucchini and dry ingredients, mixing until just blended. Add fruit and nuts. Divide among three 8×4” sprayed bread pans and bake about an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the split in the top. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then cool completely on a rack.

A great way to use up zucchini when your garden explodes with it!

2 medium zucchini, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 large can diced tomatoes with juice, OR 3-4 large fresh tomatoes, peeled and chunked
1 green or red bell pepper, seeded and diced
Italian seasoning, dill weed, salt, pepper, garlic powder, 2 bay leaves.

Place the veggies in a large skillet coated with nonstick spray; season to taste with the spices. Simmer over medium heat, covered, until veggies are soft. (You might need to add a little water or tomato juice if you use fresh tomatoes.) Remove bay leaves. Spoon into serving bowl and sprinkle generously with grated parmesan cheese. Serves 4.

Kitchen Hint: for a meal in a skillet, add a pound of browned, seasoned ground beef or Italian bulk sausage, or cooked chicken.

Fragrant, light and sweet…is it time for breakfast yet?

1 T. or pkg. yeast
¼ C. warm water
1 C. warm milk

1/3 C. sugar
1/3 C. butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
¼ C. orange juice
2 T. grated fresh orange peel
5 ¼-5 ¾ C. flour

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in the water. Add milk, sugar, butter/margarine, eggs, juice, and peel along with 3 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth, then add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, then place in a greased bowl (turn the dough to grease the top). Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 2 hours, using regular yeast).

Punch dough down; roll into a 16×10” rectangle and cut 10 strips on the 10” side.

Roll and tie each in a knot. Place on a sprayed baking sheet and tuck the ends under. Cover with a towel and let rise about 30 minutes. Bake at 400º for 10 minutes or until golden. Cool and drizzle with frosting.

Frosting: 1 C. powdered sugar, 2 T. orange juice, 1 tsp. grated fresh orange peel.

Cinnamon adds subtle richness to an everyday dessert!

2 pkgs. cook-and-serve chocolate pudding mix
1 ½ C. cold milk
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 9” graham cracker crust

Follow package directions for stovetop or microwave pudding, using only 1 ½ C. of milk. Cool pudding in the pan with wax paper or plastic pressed on the surface. Spoon into a 9” graham cracker crust and garnish with whipped topping and a shake of cinnamon.

Kitchen Hint: Sugar-free pudding mix and skim milk work just fine in this recipe.

Who knew great bakery cinnamon rolls could start with a cake mix?!

2 T. or 2 pkgs. yeast
2 ½ C. warm water
1 box yellow cake mix
5-6 C. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 C. butter, melted

1/2 C. brown sugar

1 T. cinnamon

Dissolve yeast in the water for about 3 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, add yeast mixture to the cake mix, and one cup of the flour. Mix until bubbles appear, then slowly add the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, then place in a greased bowl, greasing the top of the dough. Cover the bowl and let dough rise until double (about an hour with regular yeast; 30 minutes with quick-rise).

Punch down, divide in two, then roll into 12×9” rectangles. Spread with melted margarine, then sprinkle all over with sugar and cinnamon. Roll the short sides like a jelly roll, pinch edges to seal, and cut each roll into 12 rounds. Place rolls in two sprayed 9×13” pans and let rise until double. Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes.

Frosting: 2 C. powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, 3T. melted margarine, 3T. milk or orange juice–enough to make it drizzly. Spread on the rolls while they’re hot.

So moist you won’t miss the frosting. Try it as a coffeecake, too!

½ C. margarine
½ C. oil
1 ¾ C. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
½ C. buttermilk, sour cream or plain yogurt
2 ½ C. flour
¼ C. cocoa
1 tsp. each salt and soda
1 T. cinnamon
2 C. grated unpeeled zucchini
½ C. chopped nuts
1 C. chocolate chips
2 T. sugar

Preheat the oven to 325º. Cream the margarine, oil and sugar. Add eggs and then vanilla. Sift the dry ingredients together and add alternately with the buttermilk/sour cream/yogurt. Stir in the zucchini and spread in a sprayed 9×13” pan. Sprinkle with the sugar, nuts and chips. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Freezes well.

Sweet and dense, these muffins accompany any meal–and they’re a great way to use up zucchini when your garden explodes with it.

2 ½ C. white flour
1 ½ C. yellow cornmeal
1 C. sugar*
1 T. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. each baking soda and salt
3 C. shredded/finely chopped zucchini
1/3 C. honey
1 C. oil
1 6 oz. carton lemon yogurt*
4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350º. In a large bowl, stir the dry ingredients together and then stir in the zucchini. In a small bowl, blend the honey, oil, yogurt and eggs, and then stir them into the flour mixture until well moistened. Spoon into muffin tins and bake 12-15 minutes, or just until tops are set. Leave in pans about 10 minutes and then cool muffins on a rack. Makes 2 dozen.

*Kitchen Hint: You can substitute ½ C. Splenda Baking mix for the sugar and use nonfat yogurt.

Sweet yet tart, this easy pie makes a refreshing summer dessert.

1 10” graham cracker crust
Egg white (from an egg, below), slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 325º. Brush the crust with egg white and bake 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling:

2 cans sweetened condensed milk
5 egg yolks
½ C. sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 C. bottled lemon juice

With a whisk or fork, blend the condensed milk and egg yolks until smooth. Stir in sugar, vanilla and lemon juice until well blended. Pour into crust and bake at 300º for 20 minutes or until center is set. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate several hours or overnight. Garnish with whipped cream or whipped topping.

For key lime pie: Substitute bottled key lime juice for the lemon juice.

Kitchen Hint: Use those extra egg whites in a healthy veggie omelette to serve with Sweet Zucchini Corn Muffins.