Orange-Cream Cheese Tea Bread (Makes 2 Loaves)

You have to really like orange for this most delicious recipe found on www.justapinch.com. I modified the recipe-by using skim milk and low-fat cream cheese. It seemed appropriate to add the word "tea" to the title of this creamy bread, because the loaves are smaller than ones baked in your typical larger loaf pan. This bread is dense, similar to a pound cake. Tea (pinkies up), coffee, and especially a glass of cold milk hit the spot with this fragrant orange bread.

Ingredients:

1 8 oz package low-fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter flavored shortening

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup skim milk

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons grated orange peel

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Combine cream cheese and shortening, creaming well. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beating well after each addition.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix well after each addition. Stir in walnuts and orange peel.

Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 8" x 4" x 3" inch loaf pans. Bake at 375 for 50-55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the orange juice over the loaves and transfer bread from pans to a wire rack so they can finish cooling.

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

I have a variety and abundance of squash in my freezer which I picked, sliced into small pieces (5"x5"), seeded, baked, and froze in quart size freezer bags. Over the holidays I've been thawing some of this beautiful squash for soups and pies (pumpkin--it's a squash). I peel off the skin once the piece of squash is thawed--very easy. I've made this Thai butternut squash soup twice now, once in the crock pot and once on the stove. I like the crock pot version a little better. It's silky smooth and luscious. The cilantro, red curry sauce, ginger, and lime provide an oh-so-lovely Thai flavor.  I don't know exactly how much squash I used but I'm estimating 5 cups. Enjoy. This is what winter soup is all about.

5 cups of cooked butternut squash

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 14 oz. can light, unsweetened coconut milk (Trader Joe's)

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 cup white onion, finely chopped 

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

3 tablespoons red curry sauce (Trader Joe's)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (Penzey's is great)

A couple of good shakes of:

-black pepper

-paprika

-garlic powder

Put it all ingredients into a crock pot (slow cooker) and stir.  Cook on low for 4 hours.  To get the creamy, smooth, silky texture use an immersion blender to blend the soup until completely smooth.  You can also transfer the soup into batches to a food processor or blender, or use a potato masher to mash the soup until nearly smooth.  I used to food processor method.  Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with:  a) finely chopped cilantro, b) finely shredded lime peel, c) chopped nuts, d) a small dollop of sour cream, or, e) all of the above. 

Homemade Applesauce

Last night I made homemade applesauce for the first time in my life. It is so easy! This morning for breakfast I had this delicious, thick, homemade applesauce with cinnamon sprinkled on top.

I used fuji, cameo, and delicious apples of the red and gold variety. I used 20 medium-sized apples which made about a gallon of applesauce. 

Ingredients:
20 apples of any variety, unpeeled, cored, cut into quarters
1 cup sugar
3 cups water
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

In a large saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  

Cover and cook over medium heat for 25-30 minutes, or until apples are soft.
 

Allow to cool, then mash with a fork or potato masher. After mashing, remove the biggest pieces of apple peel. The peel comes off of cooked apples much easier than it does on raw apples.

If you'd like, you can freeze the applesauce in freezer bags. Store any remaining applesauce in the fridge.

This recipe is a great way to use up apples if you have an abundance. You can also use applesauce as a healthy substitute for oil in recipes.