Vegan

Strawberry-Rhubarb Upside Down Cake


Strawberry-Rhubarb Upside Down Cake
Serves 8

To give credit where credit is due, this recipe is a lightly modified version of one found in one of my favorite periodicals, Eating Well, the June 2013 issue. However, my modifications make the recipe a better fit for people sticking to a calorie budget.

Make choices to stick to a budget is part of success. I talk about success choices, but with a calories budget and in other areas (like starting new careers) in my podcast, Make Your Someday Today.

The fruit topping:
1 cup (4 ounces by weight) diced fresh rhubarb
3 tablespoons Splenda (or stevia, or sugar whichever you prefer)
2 ounces orange juice

2.5 cups (1 pound) sliced strawberries (fresh are best, but you can use frozen berries that are thawed)

Cooking spray or vegetable oil (to prepare the pan/skillet)

The batter:
1.5 cups flour (either all purpose white, or white whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

3 eggs
2/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce (or two individual serving cups)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces rum (optional, but tasty!)

  1. Combine the first three ingredients in a bowl and let is stand (the true term is macerate) for 20-30 minutes in the orange juice. (The acids in the orange juice begin breaking down the fibrous rhubarb.) Stir occasionally.
  2. Prepare a 9 inch cake pan (according to the instructions). I always use a 10 inch oven-proof non-stick skillet. I can’t imagine using a smaller pan. You will see why shortly.
  3. While the rhubarb is macerating, prepare the batter and preheat the oven to 350F.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the first three dry batter ingredients. Set aside.
  5. In a large bowl, whisk together the next five wet ingredients. 
    You can see the rhubarb in the orange juice, along with the other recipe components.
  6. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Mix only until it is uniformly wet.
  7. Spread the fruit in the prepared pan or skillet. Pour the batter over the fruit. It should be wet enough that it will spread evenly on its own.
    The fruit in a well-prepared skillet.
    The batter gently poured over the fruit.
  8. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake (40-50 minutes, depending on your oven.)
    See why I wouldn’t recommend using a smaller (9″) baking pan?
  9. Now comes the only moderately tricky part. While the cake is still hot (and therefore not sticking to the pan) take a plate that has a larger diameter (11″ is best) than the pan/skillet. Lay it on the cake, inverted, so that when you QUICKLY yet CALMLY flip the whole thing over, the cake is batter side

    down and centered on the plate.  Use hot pads or towels, as there may be hot fruit juices.

  10. Don’t do this the first time in front of guests. On the other hand, I’ve done this recipe three times, and never had any disaster other than spilling some strawberry juice, so it really isn’t a big deal. I just don’t try new techniques in front of witnesses the first time I try them.
  11. Let is cool on the counter to room temperature (2 hours.) 
  12. Cut and serve (with whipped cream, or ice cream if you have room in your budget.)
Nutritional data (per 1/8 of the cake):
Calories:      201
Fat:               2.5g
Sat fat:          0.6g
Chol:           79mg
Sodium:       93mg
Carb:          39.2g
Fiber:            3.9g
Protein:            6g
By the way, I said I modified the recipe from Eating Well.  In specific, here are my changes:
3 tablespoons Splenda instead of 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce instead of 2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup packed brown sugar instead of 3/4 cup packed packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder instead of 2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt instead of 1/2 teaspoon salt
To compare the nutritional data using the numbers the recipe gives:
(And this is for 1/10 of the cake, so a smaller piece than my recipe)

Calories:      321
Fat:               17g
Sat fat:            3g
Chol:           56mg
Sodium:     241mg
Carb:            40g
Fiber:            3.0g
Protein:            5g
In most cases, you can replace oil with applesauce, and reduce the sugar by about 1/3 and not lose anything My recipe is a better option that Eating Well gave (and I can eat a larger portion!)

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Make Your Someday Today is a twice-weekly podcast, where we talk to successful people in all walks of life and around the world on Monday, and then on Thursday, I take a specific message from the previous guest and give my “Trevitorial”, where I help you apply that message to your life. The entire purpose of the show is to help all of us overcome our challenges and fears and become the person we want to be, the person we deserve to be. 

Red Hot Relish

Hot Relish
Serves: makes about 12 portions, 1/4 cup each

A good relish takes a meal and can make it memorable. This is the perfect combination of heat, sweet and sour. Perfect on burgers, hot dog/brats, tacos or as a side dish to pork, or chicken.

2 tablespoon olive oil
15 red jalapeno peppers, partially seeded and sliced (Green will also work.)
1 large Vidalia onion, sliced thinly and then quartered
2 cups diced fresh pineapple or a 15 ounce can of diced pineapple
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 cup Splenda (or table sugar)

  1. Preheat large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add oil.
  2. Add onions and peppers, sautee, tossing occasionally, until the onions start to turn brown (10-15 minutes.)
  3. Stir in pineapple, vinegar and sugar. 
  4. Increase heat to medium-high.
  5. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
  6. Salt and pepper as needed (optional)
  7. Cool to room temp, cover and refrigerate.
Nutritional data:
Calories:        60
Fat:              2.5g
Sat fat:         0.4g
Chol:            0mg
Sodium:     1.3mg
Carbs:          9.6g
Fiber:           1.3g
Protein:        0.9g

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My podcast, Make Your Someday Today is a twice-weekly show, where we talk to successful people in all walks of life and around the world on Monday, and then on Thursday, I take a specific message from the previous guest and give my “Trevitorial”, where I help you apply that message to your life. The entire purpose of the show is to help all of us overcome our challenges and fears and become the person we want to be, the person we deserve to be. I hope you give it a listen!

Green Beans and Butternut Squash

Green Beans and Butternut Squash
Serves Variable

This is a wonderful cool weather meal. It is very well-suited to pork dishes, but hearty fish (salmon), lamb or venison would be equally good.

On my podcast, Make Your Someday Today, many guests talk about need to make adaptations to changing conditions. When you make a side dish like that, you have automatic flexibility. You can prepare whichever meat you have in your freezer or is on sale at your local market. And this dish simply looks good!

Fresh green beans
Medium butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil

I didn’t weigh the ingredients, so I don’t know how much to tell you to use. I used about 4 cups of beans and 2 cups of squash and got 4 large portions from it.

  1. Put a large pot of water on the stove, and turn to high
  2. Peel the squash. 
  3. Cut into approximately 1/2 inch (10mm) slices. Then cut them into cubes.
  4. Trim the ends off the beans, and wash under cold water.
  5. Heat a large non-stick pan over med-high heat. Spray with cooking spray.
  6. Place squash in pan. Let them saute a bit until the first side begins to brown, then start to toss every minute or so to evenly brown them.
  7. When the water comes to a boil, place all the beans in. Prepare a colander in the sink.
  8. After one minute, pour the pot of beans into colander. (You just “blanched” those beans.)
  9. Let them drip dry for a minute, then add them to the large skillet. Continue to toss until the beans are heated through. 
  10. When done, the squash will retain its shape, but be easy to piece with a fork, and the beans will be hot, yet still have crispness. (If you want the beans softer, keep them in the water for an additional 2-3 minutes.) 
Nutritional data:
Calories:           96
Fat:               3.8mg
Sat fat:             0.6g
Chol:                0mg
Sodium:         9.4mg
Carbs:             15.8g
Fiber:                4.4g
Protein:             2.7g

This is excellent with grilled pork chops, by the way!
———————–

My podcast, Make Your Someday Today is a twice-weekly show, where we talk to successful people in all walks of life and around the world on Monday, and then on Thursday, I take a specific message from the previous guest and give my “Trevitorial”, where I help you apply that message to your life. The entire purpose of the show is to help all of us overcome our challenges and fears and become the person we want to be, the person we deserve to be. I hope you give it a listen! 

Sauteed Asparugus with Shallots

Sauteed Asparagus and Shallots
Serves 4

1 pound asparagus (fresh or frozen)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 large shallots, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

  1. Trim woody ends from asparagus (either cutting the ends off, or picking up one stalk at a time, and bending it until it snap, discarding the base of the stem.)
  2. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
  3. Add asparagus. Saute for 3-5 minutes, until they get hot.
  4. Add shallots, salt and pepper. Toss ingredients occasionally. Serve when the shallots begin to brown. (If you don’t have shallots, you can use onion instead. Shallots have a lighter flavor than onion, but onion would work.)
Nutritional data
Calories:       75
Fat:             3.4g
Sat fat:        0.3g
Chol:           0mg
Sodium:  2.4gmg
Carbs:         4.9g
Fiber:          2.6g
Protein:       2.7g

Walnut-Pear Bleu Cheese Salad

Walnut-Pear Bleu Cheese Salad with Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette
Serves 2

A double-handful of mixed greens
1/2 of a ripe pear, thinly sliced
1/2 of a cucumber, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon walnut pieces
1 tablespoon bleu cheese crumbles

  1. Place greens in a bowl.
  2. Add dressing, toss to coat.
  3. Divide lettuce and place on two plates
  4. Add equal amounts of pears, cucumbers, walnuts and bleu cheese to each.
  5. Note: You can make this vegan by either removing the bleu cheese completely, or replace it with something else savory. (Maybe wasabi-coated tofu crumbles? I haven’t tried it, but I think it would work.)

Nutritional data:
Calories:        131
Fat:                 9g
Sat fat:         1.9g
Chol:       12.5mg
Sodium: 154.1mg
Carbs:          8.4g
Fiber:           2.4g
Protein:        5.8g

Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette
Serves 2

2 tablespoons white balsamic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Nutritional data:
Calories:        104
Fat:                 7g
Sat fat:            1g
Chol:            0mg
Sodium:   62.5mg
Carbs:        10.1g
Fiber:              0g
Protein:           0g

Grilled Peach with Balsamic Reduction

Grilled Peach with Balsamic Reduction
Serves 2

1 peach
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup crushed pecans
Whipped topping or ice cream

  1. Preheat your grill on high for 5 minutes.
  2. In a small non-stick skillet over med-high heat, toast the pecans until they become fragrant (2-3 minutes.) Remove from heat.
  3. In the same skillet, add vinegar and increase the heat to high. Bring to a boil. Let is reduce in volume by half. This will go quickly (1-3 minutes), stay by the stove. Turn the heat off.
  4. Cut your peach in half and remove the stone.
  5. Lay the peach, cut side down on the grill. Leave in place until grill marks form, about 2 minutes. (The sugars in the peach will start to get caramelize and you will smell the wonderful aroma.)
  6. Turn the heat down, and leave the peach in place another 2-3 minutes, until it gets warm.
  7. Serve the peach half on whipped topping or ice cream, topped with half the pecans and balsamic syrup.
  8. Omit whipped cream to make this vegan.
Note: The next time I make this, I will cut the peach into four or six wedges, and grill both cut sides.
Normally, I don’t like peaches (I usually find them to be cloyingly sweet), but this peach had such a different flavor from the grilling process and then topping it with the sweet-tart balsamic syrup made this a wonderful dessert.
For nutritional data, the only data of concern is the peach. The vinegar adds very little. If you eat it without whipped topping or ice cream, you only need to add the calories present in the peach.

Panzanella


Panzanella
Serves 2

Such simple ingredients. Stale bread, ripe tomatoes, onion, basil, olive oil and vinegar. It’s amazing how basic items can be used to create delicious food and good lives. We talk about make simple changes on MakeYourSomedayToday, my twice a week motivational podcast.

2 tablespoon olive oil (use the best you can afford, because you will tastes the difference in low quality oil)
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 pieces of bread, dried completely and broken into bite sized chunks
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/8ths or 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
3-6 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade cut (Roll the leaves into a tight tube, and then cut across the tube into thin strips.)
1/4 cup diced red onion

  1. Combine first three ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
  2. Combine the last five ingredient in a bowl. Toss to mix.
  3. Pour the dressing on top, toss and let the bread soak up the dressing for 3-5 minutes.
Nutritional data:
Calories:       178
Fat:            14.4g
Sat fat:         2.0g
Chol:            0mg
Sodium:    110mg
Carbs:        12.6g
Fiber:           3.7g
Protein:        2.8g
Note: you can use any bread that you prefer. I use Healthy Life’s High Fiber because of the good fiber content along with the low calories and sodium. It also tastes good, dries well, and is easy to find in stores.

I used a very high quality olive oil from Olivada Oils in Sheboygan, WI which was a Chipotle Infused Olive oil. It gave this salad a delicious heat and a nice kick to balance the sweet tomatoes and tart vinegar.

I think another variation would be to replace the red wine vinegar with a white balsamic (I think a traditional balsamic may overpower the other flavors, but that is a theory that is untested as of right now.) Olivada carries excellent balsamic vinegars, too. (I receive no compensation from Olivada, I just like promoting local businesses with great products. They will sell online and ship to you.)

Question of the day:
You are abandoned on a deserted island. Which THREE vegetables would you bring (and only three veggies, no fruits)? After I get responses from at least 10 people, I will tell you my three choices.

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Make Your Someday Today is a twice-weekly podcast, where we talk to successful people in all walks of life and around the world on Monday, and then on Thursday, I take a specific message from the previous guest and give my “Trevitorial”, where I help you apply that message to your life. The entire purpose of the show is to help all of us overcome our challenges and fears and become the person we want to be, the person we deserve to be.