Watermelon Fresca

     I get tired of drinking water and occasionally drinking juice when everyone else is drinking iced tea or lemonade.  I wanted something special for myself.  Browsing through food magazines, I saw a recipe for a watermelon drink which had, of course, all sorts of ingredients I couldn't have.  After reworking it, I have the following.  Serve this in a clear pitcher if possible because it's such a pretty color.

                                                              Watermelon Fresca

16 cups of chopped seedless watermelon (makes about 8 1/2 cups of juice)
     this is about two thirds of a medium sized watermelon
4 sprigs of fresh mint leaves
1 cup water
2 tsp. lemon powder
1/4 superfine sugar (Splenda if you are watching your calories)

     Puree first three ingredients in a blender or food processor and strain through a fine-mesh collander. Add lemon powder and sugar or Splenda and serve over ice.  Makes about 8 1/2 cups.
     You can make ice cubes out of some of the watermelon fresca to serve in the glasses and this will prevent your drinks from diluting.
     Next week I'll share my recipe for grilled chicken bread salad.  This is a good recipe for summer because all the cooking is done outside.  See you next time.

Peach Cherry Almond Crumble

     With summer fruit in such plentiful supply, it's a good time to make pies, cobblers, trifles, crumbles, etc.  When I was growing up, my father always preferred his fruit fresh, so in the summer except for canning fruit, my mother and I never made anything with cooked fruit.  After I got married I was itching to get started. 
     Instead of making this recipe in a traditional baking dish, I made it in four ounce canning jars.  This made it the perfect serving size and if you wanted to travel with it to a picnic or family reunion, they would be easy as well because everyone could serve themselves.

                                              Peach Cherry Almond Crumble

Crumble
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
4 oz. almond paste
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 stick margarine, cold
2/3 cup chopped almonds

Filling
4 cups peaches, peeled and chopped
1 cup sweet cherries, pitted and halved
2 tblsp. sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch

     Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray the inside of 12-4 oz. canning jars with baking spray.  Using a food processor, pastry cutter or two knives, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, egg, almond paste, and almond extract together.  Add the margarine to the mixture in pieces and mix together until the mixture is crumbly.   Divide the mixture in half.  Take half and divide it evenly among the 12 jars and gently press it in.  Add the chopped almonds to the other half and set aside
     Mix the peaches, cherries and sugar together.  (If fresh fruit isn't available use frozen.  If you would like a more even proportion of cherries to peaches, change accordingly.)  Sift the cornstarch over the fruit to make it easier to mix in.  Divide the fruit mixture between the 12 jars.  Top with the remaining crumble mixture.
     Set the jars on a cookie sheet which has sides and has been lined with parchment paper.  Bake for about 25 minutes or until the tops begin to turn brown.  Remove from the oven to cool before serving. These can be served warm with lactose free ice cream or room temperature or cold with nondairy whipped topping.
     Next week I'll share my recipe for a refreshing summer drink.  Since I can't have iced tea or lemonade I've found an alternative I think everyone will enjoy.  See you next time.

Quesadillas with Refried Beans and Black Olives

     Since I love Mexican food, it became one of my first challenges when I was diagnosed with eating disabilities.  I never really liked spicy food anyway, but I didn't want bland food either to I needed to find a balance between what tasted good and didn't upset my digestive system.  Quesadillas are easily adaped to anyone like me.  You can put many combinations of food in them:  different meat like chicken, beef, pork or fish; you can use refried beans or black beans-but remember to add some ground savory to prevent getting gas; any combination of soy or rice cheeses.  Once they are assembled, they can be browned in a frying pan, under the broiler or carefully browned on a grill.

                                         Quesadillas with Refried Beans and Black Olives

2 flour tortillas-10 inches
2-3 tblsp. refried beans
1/8 tsp. ground savory
1/3 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup rice cheddar flavor cheese
1 tblsp. margarine
2 tblsp. soy sour cream
1 recipe guacamole from blog of August 20, 2012

     Mix ground savory into the refried beans and spread on half of each tortilla.  Spread olives and cheese on top of refried beans.  Fold tortilla in half and brush with margarine.  Fry, broil, or grill quesadillas on margarine side.  Before turning, brush with remaining margarine, then turn.  Make sure inside ingredients are hot and cheese has melted.
     Meanwhile, make guacamole according to instructions on blog of August 20, 2012.  Serve quesadillas with guacamole and soy sour cream. 1 serving
     Next week I'll share my recipe for peach cherry almond crumble.  With so much fruit available in the summer, it's the perfect time to take advantage to make fruit desserts.

Chocolate Cheesecake

     Cheesecake is my favorite dessert.  When I could no longer eat dairy products, as I've said previously, it was one of the first dishes I worked on until I found a way to make a good substitute.  Once you have the basic cheesecake recipe down, you can make flavor changes according to your taste.
     I didn't find the cream cheese flavoring at any of my local stores.  I ordered it from King Arthur Flour.  It's a new product for them.  If you can't find non-dairy chocolate chips at a local health food store, they are available online.

                                                              Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust
1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker or chocolate cookie crumbs
2 tblsps. almonds, finely chopped
5 tblsp. stick margarine, melted

Filling
2 each 8 oz. pkg. soy cream cheese, softened
2 each 5.5 oz. pkg. goat cheese, softened
3 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cream cheese flavoring
3/4 cup non-dairy chocolate chips, melted

Topping
1 cup soy sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup non-dairy chocolate chips

     Crust:  In a food processor or by hand, crush the cookie crumbs and chop the almonds.  Mix with melted margarine.  Press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside.
     Filling:  Mix the softened soy cream cheese and goat cheese in a mixer until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time until each is completely incorporated.  Stop the mixer to scrape down the sides.  Add the sugar, vanilla, and cream cheese flavoring.
     Melt the non-dairy chocolate chips in the microwave being careful not to burn them.  Transfer the melted chips to a larger bowl.  Take several tablespoons of batter out and mix them with the melted chocolate chips to cool them.  When they are cooled, pour the mixture back into the batter and mix completely.  Pour over crust.  Before placing cheesecake in oven, put in several baking dishes of water.  This will create enough steam in the oven to prevent cracks in the top of the cheesecake.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes depending on your oven.  The cheesecake is done when the sides are firm and the center is nearly set.  Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes.
     Topping:  Mix together all ingredients except the non-dairy chocolate chips.  Melt the non-dairy chocolate chips and transfer them to another bowl.  Take a few teaspoons of the soy sour cream mixture and mix with the melted chocolate chips to cool them.  When the mixture is cool, mix with the soy sour cream mixture.  Pour over the cheesecake and smooth to the edges.  Return to oven for 5 minutes.
     Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature before placing it in the refrigerator. Refrigerate for at least four hours before serving.  Serve cold.  About 12 servings.
     Next week I'll be sharing a recipe for quesadillas with guacamole and soy sour cream.  See you then.
      

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

     The other day my daughter had dinner with a friend and mentioned she had loaded baked potato soup for dinner.  That sounded so good to me, but I knew I could never order it out, but I could figure out how to make it at home.  By changing ingredients to ones I could have, my husband and I enjoyed the result.  I served it with sour dough rolls.  You can serve it with a salad on the side, but keep in mind this soup is rich and filling.

                                                           Loaded Baked Potato Soup

2 large or 3 medium baking potatoes
1/2 cup chopped turkey bacon,  ham, or Canadian bacon
3 tblsp. stick margarine
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cup lactose free milk
1 cup soy cheese blend cheddar, mozzarella and jack flavor
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1 tblsp. fresh snipped chives

     Peel potatoes and cut in 1/2 inch cubes.  Boil in salt water until cooked through, but still firm.  Drain and set aside.
     Meanwhile, in a saucepan sprayed with cooking oil, cook the meat until crispy.  Drain on paper towels and set aside.
     Drain any grease from the saucepan and melt the stick margarine in it.  Sift the flour over the melted margarine and whisk together.  Add the milk and whisk until smooth.  Cook over a medium flame whisking until the mixture begins to thicken.  Add the cheese, onion powder, salt, and white pepper and mix together until they are combined.  If they thicken too much, add more milk.  When the cheese has melted, add potatoes and meat.  If it's too difficult to stir in the potatoes and meat, the mixture is too thick, so add a little more milk.  Add in the snipped chives.  When all items are completely mixed in and the mixture is hot, the soup is ready to serve.  Makes 4 servings.
     Next week I'll share my recipe for chocolate cheesecake.  See you next time and enjoy the 4th of July!