Olive Oil Almond cake with Dairy-free Chocolate Ganache

For Olive oil cake:

Make 1 boxed vanilla cake as directed on package.  Substitute olive oil for vegetable oil.  Add 1 tsp almond extract.  Bake in a 9x13 cake pan as directed on package.

For Chocolate Ganache:

Put 16 oz chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl.  Heat a 15 oz can of coconut milk in a saucepan but do not boil.  Pour hot coconut milk over the chocolate chips.  Let sit for 5 minutes to melt chocolate.  Add 1 tsp vanilla.  Whisk until coconut milk is incorporated and chocolate is smooth.  Cool in refrigerator until thick.

Toast 1/2 cup sliced almonds for 4-5 minutes in 350 degree oven. Cool

Assemble cake by pouring cooled ganache over cake.  Top with toasted almonds. Serve with Redi-whip.  If you leave out the whipped topping, this cake is basically dairy-free.  There may be some milk solids in the cake mix and chocolate chips.  

Keep refrigerated.

Lentil Soup with Pork or Ham bone

 This could be made vegan by omitting the pork and using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

Dice 3 ribs of celery, 2 large carrots, and half an onion.  In a large soup pot,  saute in canola oil until soft.  Rinse 1 package of green lentils.  Add to soup pot along with 8 cups of chicken or vegetable stock.  Add 1 cup diced cooked pork or ham bone with meat on it.  Add 1 tablespoon garlic granules or fresh minced garlic.  Add 1 tsp cayenne.  Salt and pepper to taste.  I like lots of black pepper.  Bring to boil, reduce to simmer.  Simmer for an hour until lentils and veggies are mushy.  Remove ham bone and cut up any ham to add back to pot after blending the soup.  You need to blend half of the soup and add back into pot.  This gives the soup a creamy texture without adding dairy.  You can use an immersion blender or a regular blender.  If using a regular blender just blend a bit at a time so the hot soup doesn't explode out of the top of the blender.  Keep it chunky.

Delicious Green Bean Casserole

Originally submitted by Joanne Matson in the 1986 cookbook. Comments by Becky Matson (daughter) submitted in 2019.

Ingredients:
4 T. flour
2 t. sugar
1/2 t. pepper
1 t. salt
4 T. butter
2 T. grated onion
1/2 pt. sour cream I use Greek yogurt
1/2 c. milk
2 cans French-sliced green beans, well drained, sometimes I use 3 cans
1/2 lb. grated Swiss cheese
2 c. corn flakes
2 T. melted butter

Directions:

1. Melt 4 T of butter in saucepan. Stir in onion; fry till tender.

   

   A recipe that starts with sauteing onions in butter MUST be good!
   P.S. I am making a double batch, so yours won't look like this much.
2. Add flour, sugar, pepper, and salt. Stir till bubbly.

   

   It'll look like PlayDoh.
   P.S. Remember, I'm making a double batch so this is twice what you'll have.

3. Add sour cream or Greek yogurt and milk. Stir till thick.

   

   Mine was a bit too thick, so I thinned a bit with a little extra milk.
4. Butter casserole dish or spray with cooking spray.
5. Layer beans, cheese, sauce; repeat. 

   

   Beans first, and then the cheese!

   
   

   

   Estimate about half the sauce for this layer.

   
   

   

   Then repeat with beans, cheese, and more sauce. Don't forget to spread it around.

6. Crush corn flakes and combine with melted butter. Sprinkle over top.

   

   I like lots of crunch goodness, so I use more corn flakes and butter than the original recipe calls for. 

7. Bake at 400* for 20 minutes.

   

   Baked up perfectly in my little toaster oven! It's bubble and gooey under that layer of cereal.

Just finished baking Grandma Adam’s molasses cookies. Elsie Adams was Harry Edmon’s grandma who lived with them when he was growing up. She was from England so I would guess that this recipe is authentically British. Lots of molasses, raisins and walnuts. I doubled the amount of spices and added salt to update the flavor for the modern palate. I usually make them at Christmas but they are the last eaten so I am making them a fall treat instead.

In a mixer, blend: 
1 cup butter, shortening or other solid fat like coconut oil
1 cup sugar

Add 3 eggs, one at a time

Add 1 cup molasses and blend well

Add dry ingredients:
4 cups white flour (can use part wheat flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt

Beat until smooth

Add 2 cups raisins and 2 cups roughly chopped walnuts

Spoon onto greased cookie sheet or silpat lined. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Original Recipe: Bev Edmon

Ingredients:

2.5 lb of Chicken Breast

8 Large Low Carb Whole Wheat Tortillas (La Tortilla Factory)

2 6oz Cans of Green Chile

1 Jar of Salsa Verde

2 Cans of Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
3 Cups of 2% Milk Shredded Cheese
1 Container (30 Tbsp) of Light Sour Cream
Cayenne Pepper to taste

In a crockpot throw in the chicken breast and the whole jar of salsa verde. Cook on low for 4+ hours or until tender enough to shred. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pull the chicken out of the crockpot and shred the chicken in a bowl. Mix with leftover salsa verde until moist. In a seperate bowl mix together green chiles, cream of chicken, and sour cream. Mix in the shredded chicken. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick spray. Put down a small layer of the chicken mixture. Then lay down two tortillas. Then more chicken mixture. Then cheese, then tortillas and repeat like lasagna. End with the chicken mixture and then cheese. Bake for 40 minutes or until the edge are bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Macros per 1/10th of the casserole

Calories: 410

Carbs: 26

Fat: 18

Protein: 47

Breakfast Chicken Sausage Cups

Breakfast Chicken Sausage Cups

Ingredients:

1 lb Isernio's Hot Chicken Sausage

6 Large Eggs

1 Cup (4 oz) of 2% Milk Shredded Cheese

1 Tbsp Water

Hot Sauce, Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Take a muffin pan and spray it with non-stick spray. Then take the chicken sausage and divide it into 10. Put the chicken sausage in each cup and spread out to form a cup. Scramble the eggs with hot sauce and water. Pour the egg mixture into each cup. Top each with a pinch of cheese. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the middle is set. Serve with ketchup.

Macros per Sausage Cup:

Calories: 122

Carbs: 1

Fat: 24

Protein: 15

Creole Style Shrimp and Rice

1 tsp. minced garlic                                                            14 oz. can chicken broth
1/2 c. chopped onion                                                          6 oz. can tomato paste
1/2 c. chopped celery                                                         1 lb peeled raw shrimp
1/2 c. chopped green pepper                                              8 oz. fish fillet-
2 T. olive oil                                                                                cut into bite-sized pieces            
 1 cup Minute Rice                                                             14.5 oz can diced tomatoes        
1 tsp. dill weed                                                                 
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper                                                       chili pepper flakes to taste

In an over-proof casserole dish, saute onion, green pepper and celery on olive oil until soft.  Add rice, dill, cayenne, chicken broth, and tomato paste.  Bring to boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.  Add shrimp, fish, stewed tomatoes and chili pepper flakes.  Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  Serve immediately.