Newark Natural Foods

Coffee… Coffeecake… Need I say more?

Ingredients:

Part A

2 1/2 cups w.w.pastry flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tbsp arrowroot powder

pinch sea salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 c. oil

1 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup soymilk

Part B

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. powdered grain coffee

Part C

1 tbsp. w.w.pastry flour

1/4 c. oil

1/4 c. maple syrup

1/4 c. maple sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

 2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in part A together until well blended. Pour 2/3 batter into a greased 9″x13″ pan. Add ingredients in part B to remaining batter. If you are using a grain coffee that is in granule form, run it through a sieve first. Plop this remaining batter onto the top of the batter in the pan in spoonfuls and use a knife to swirl the dark and light batters together a bit. This will be the fun part and it looks cool too.

 Make the topping by stirring together all ingredients in part C. Sprinkle it over the cake batter. Bake cake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness.

If you have the inclination to deep fry, these are worth the trouble.

The only ingredients you will need for this recipe are:

Parsnips

Oil ( I use canola or olive)

Sea salt

If you own a deep fryer, I guess that’s the way to go. But since I don’t, I make these using a medium weight stainless steel pot on the stove. You’ll want to use a pan with sides 4-6″ high to help contain grease splatters. Heat about 2 inches of oil until it registers 365 degrees on a deep fry or candy thermometer.

Meanwhile peel the parsnips. Then keep peeling. Peel them until you are no longer able to peel them.  Place a handful of parsnip peelings into the hot oil - try to keep them from clumping together. Cook until they begin to turn golden brown. It won’t take long. Remove from oil with  slotted spoon, cooking chops or strainer and place on cookie trays covered with brown paper or paper towels. Repeat with additional batches. Sprinkle parsnip chips with salt.

Cool and serve. If you must, store in an airtight tin for a day or two. But I never have them around for long. They are so amazingly delicious and fun to eat. Simple, yet gourmet. They make a great garnish for a fancy meal.

Super easy and economical too.

6 vanilla beans

2 c. vodka

With a sharp knife, cut a lengthwise slit down each vanilla bean. Pour vodka into a glass jar and skwish the vanilla beans down into the jar so that they are totally immersed in the vodka. Cover jar and place in a dark place (kitchen cabinet or pantry shelf) and let sit for about 8 weeks. Give the jar a gentle shake once a week.

Strain through a fine strainer or coffee filter. Store in glass jars.

You can re-use the beans for one more batch. Give the second batch more time - wait for it to turn dark amber. The longer it sits, the stronger it will get.

Here is a recipe for a rich tasting cake that has only three ingredients! If you like hazlenuts, you will love this cake!

 Hazlenut Cake

2 cups hazlenuts

2 lg. eggs

1/2 cup maple syrup

Grind the hazlenuts in a food processor until fine and floury. Warm your mixer bowl by running hot water over the bottom. Put syrup and eggs in mixer bowl and beat at medium high for 6-7 minutes until the mixture is light yellow and the volume has increased. Slow down the mixer and add the nut meal. Once nuts are incorporated, stop mixer, scrape the beaters and bowl with a large spatula and stir batter with spatula a few times. Pour into a well greased 8 1/2 ” loaf pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven. Stick a cake tester or toothpick into the cake to test for doneness.

Cool cake in pan. Run knife around edge and turn cake out.

Here are three potato pancake recipes for you, starting with a basic recipe that will feed a crowd. Remember to do the grating right before you start cooking the pancakes as the potato batter will turn gray if it sits too long.

You CAN peel your ‘taters, even grate them before hand if you then plop them into an ice water and lemon juice bath. If you do this, you will need to drain and pat them dry before mixing them into the batter. ( And I mean DRY!!!)

If you grate them by hand, you will have a softer and more traditional pancake. A food processor will yield long strands of potato- giving you a pancake that is crisper.

As with all pancakes, a hot pan is a must. Not smoking over a high flame- but you want to give the pan and the oil some time to get evenly hot over a medium flame. You can test for readiness by putting in a drop of water. If the pan is hot, the drop will sputter and sizzle and you’ll know you’re ready to go.

Also- let me warn you…this is messy business. Wear an apron and be resigned to cleaning the oil spatters off the stove when you are done.

My Mom’s Potato Pancakes

 8 potatoes, grated

1 finely chopped onion

4 eggs, lightly beaten

10 tbsp. flour

1 tbsp. sea salt

oil for frying ( I use canola)

Mix it all together and fry spoonfuls of batter in hot oil in a large frying pan, using enough oil to keep the bottom of the pan entirely covered. You may need to press on the spoonfuls with the back of a spoon to flatten and compress the pancakes. Flip over once first side is golden brown and then brown other side. Remove from pan and put on brown paper or paper towels to blot oil. Serve hot. Some like them with sour cream. Some like them with applesauce. I just like them plain, maybe a sprinkle of salt. For breakfast, lunch or dinner!

I have also made them without eggs. You have to fuss with them a bit more, but they taste great.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and grated

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsp. flour

1 tbsp. maple sugar (or dehydrated cane sugar)

1 tsp. sea salt

oil for frying

Mix it all together and fry as above.

Tri-color Potato Pancakes

2 large white potatoes, grated

1 large sweet potato, grated

1 large zucchini, grated

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tbsp. chopped chives

1/4 cup matzoh meal

1 1/2 tsp. sea salt

pinch of pepper

oil for frying

Mix and fry as above

I am always looking for ways to use up bananas!

2 1/3 cup w.w. pastry flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. sea salt

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 c. mashed banana

1/2 c. soymilk + 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1/2 stick margarine

1 1/4 cups evaporated cane juice sugar

2 eggs (can use egg replacer)

1/4 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir dry ingredients together with a whisk in small mixing bowl. In an electric mixer, beat the margarine, sugar and eggs. Add dry ingredients alternately with the milk and banana. Mix until dry ingredients are incorporated, but don’t overmix.

Pour into greased 9×13″ pan, two layer cake pans, or cupcake trays. Check with a toothpick at 25 minutes for cupcakes, 30 for layer cakes, 35 for sheet cake. 

Chocolate frosting anyone?

Traditional methods for making seitan ( a faux meat that is made from wheat gluten) call for kneading the dough under water- rinsing out the starch until you are left with just the gluten. It is time consuming and messy.

If you use wheat gluten flour as your base, you’re half way there. It is SOOO much cheaper to make than to buy pre-made. And it’s pretty easy. Try it!

 RECIPE

2 cups vital wheat gluten flour

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 tbsp. flour

1 cup cold water or vegetable broth

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced finely

12 cups cold water, 1/2 cup tamari (soy sauce) for the cooking liquid

Excluding the cooking liquid ingredients, combine dry ingredients in large bowl and wet in a smaller bowl. Then mix the two together. Knead for 5 minutes until the dough is elastic. You can use the dough hook on your mixer if you have one. Let the dough rest for a few minutes.

Mix the tamari and water in large cooking pot. Roll the dough into a log (as best you can) and cut the log into 6 pieces. Drop them into the cold water and then cover the pot with its lid askew so that steam can get out. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for an hour.

Turn off the heat and let the seitan cool in the broth. To store- cut into pieces, put in a container and fill with broth. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Use seitan as you would chunks of beef in any recipe. It makes an awesome stroganoff paired with chunks of meaty portabella mushrooms and a “beef” bourginion that rocks!

I have free green marble, it is in pieces.  I dont want it in a land fill, and I am hoping someone is creative enough to use it.  Please contact me at maryb2@internet.net or by calling 410-287-2021.  Thanks.

- Mary

Here’s what you can do with leftover pumpkin or butternut sqush puree:

Pumpkin Waffles

1/2 cup squash or pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups milk, dairy or soy

3 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp. butter, melted

1 cup w.w. pastry flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt

2 tbsp. maple sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

Mix we and dry ingredients separately and then blend together well, but do not overmix.  Cook according to the directions for your waffle maker.

Pumpkin Cheesecake