Fruits and Veggies

Many of us grew up hearing our parents tell us to eat our Fruits and Veggies. (I know I did, then repeated the mantra to my kids.)

Well, here is an easy way to go ahead and eat those fruits and veggies...in dessert! Check out the Fudgy Zucchini Brownies from The Baker Chick, the Simple Watermelon Ice Cream (from Publix), as well as the rest of these yummy desserts. Enjoy!

WHOLE ROASTED PINEAPPLES

This was in an article titled "Vision Quest, Recipes for Eye Health" in the July 2020 issue of Taste for Life (page 15).

I had picked up a copy of Taste for Life at Rollin' Oats, a Florida health food store with two locations (Tampa and St. Petersburg). Since I live close to the St. Pete store, I try to go there as often as possible (though not often enough, as far as I'm concerned). If you're ever in the area, I highly suggest giving them a try.

This recipe has a prep time of 30 minutes and serves 6.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp coconut sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp coconut oil

2 pineapples, peeled

To Garnish

Toasted coconut flakes

Dairy-free ice cream

Fresh mint

Maple syrup

Lime zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add coconut sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper to a small bowl and mix together.

Place a large non-stick pan over a medium heat and add coconut oil. When hot, add whole peeled pineapples. Turn pineapples so they color on all sides. Sprinkle over sugar mixture while they are cooking.

When pineapples are golden, place them onto a baking sheet and then into over for 15 to 20 minutes.

Once pineapples are baked, carve them at the table. Serve with toasted coconut flakes, ice cream, fresh mint, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a little lime zest.

COLD CANDIED ORANGES

When I first saw this recipe from Gabrielle Hamilton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter, it took me a minute to get over the initial shock. Oranges, in my opinion, are yummy as they are. But the idea of Cold Candied Oranges seemed almost a little stand-offish. But that's beside the point; they're well worth the effort!!!

Anyway, Gabrielle wrote, "Slowly poaching fresh, firm seedless oranges in a light sugar syrup is a simple yet magical kind of alchemy. You still end up with oranges, yes, but now they are glistening jewels — cooked but juicy, candied but fresh, bitter but sweet — that make an uncommonly elegant and refreshing dessert after a heavy winter meal. These cold candied oranges keep up to a month in the refrigerator, and any that are left over can be delicious with thick yogurt in the morning, or beside a cup of mint tea in the afternoon. But in every case, they are most bracing and most delicious when super cold."

Yield: 6 candied oranges; Time: 2 hours, plus curing and cooling

This was featured in "End Your Meal Elegantly With Candied Oranges", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020812-cold-candied-oranges.

Note: I highly recommend going to the "featured in" article. I found it to be a short but fascinating read.

Ingredients

6 firm, juicy, seedless oranges with thin skins (recently I’ve been using Cara Cara oranges), no bigger than a baseball

6 cups granulated sugar

Preparation

Bring a stainless-steel pot of water to a boil. (It should be large enough to hold the oranges submerged.)

Wash and dry the oranges, and channel from stem to navel at 1/2-inch intervals, removing strips of peel while leaving the pith intact, until the oranges resemble those onion domes on Russian churches. (You need a good, sharp channeler, not a tiny-toothed zester for this one.)

Place the oranges and their long, fat threads of channeled peel into the boiling water, and reduce to a simmer. Cover the oranges with a lid one size too small for the pot, to keep them submerged. Let them blanch for about 25 minutes to remove the harshest edge of their bitter nature. They should swell and soften but not collapse or split.

Remove the oranges and zest from the simmering water with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Dump out the blanching water, and return the dry pot to the stove.

In that same pot, combine the sugar with 6 cups water; bring the sugar water to a boil over medium-high, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then allow to gently boil, and reduce for 10 minutes, uncovered. You want some water to evaporate and for the syrup to take on a little body.

Carefully place blanched oranges and zest into the sugar syrup, and reduce heat to a very slow, lethargic simmer. Cover oranges with a parchment circle cut slightly larger than the circumference of the pot (by 1 inch is enough), then place the too-small lid on top of the parchment on top of the oranges, to keep them fully submerged (and sealed under the parchment) in the sluggishly simmering syrup.

Cook the oranges in the syrup for about 45 minutes, checking on them frequently to keep the temperature quite slow and stable, until they take on a high gloss and appear vaguely translucent and jewel-like. (We have several induction burners that come with features that can hold a temperature, and I leave the oranges at around 170 degrees for most of the candying, sometimes with a little bump up to 180. But without a thermometer or an induction burner, just a visual slow, slow, slow bubble is a good cue.)

Cool oranges and peels in their syrup for a full 24 hours before serving. This kind of “cures” them. They get even better after 48 hours. First, you’ll want to let them cool at room temperature until no longer warm to the touch, at least 4 hours, then refrigerate them until thoroughly chilled. The oranges last refrigerated for 1 month as long as they are submerged in that syrup.

Serve very cold. Eat the whole thing, skin and all, with a knife and fork. It’s like a half glacéed fruit and half fresh fruit — refreshing, tonic, digestive and so great after dinner.

CRANBERRY-PECAN BAKED PEACHES

This comes from the November 2014 issue of Heart Insight Magazine. It begins, “Fresh peaches are halved and baked with a tantalizing blend of dried cranberries and finely chopped pecans.” Serves 4; 2 peach halves and 2 tablespoons cranberry mixture per serving.

To view this online, go to http://heartinsight.heart.org/November-2014/Cranberry-Pecan-Baked-Peaches/.

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1-1/2 tablespoons honey

1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries

3 tablespoons finely chopped pecans

4 medium unpeeled peaches, nectarines, or pears, halved, pitted, and skin pierced in several places with a fork

2 teaspoons light tub margarine

1/2 teaspoon grated peeled gingerroot

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Lightly spray a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray. Pour the honey into the pan. Heat the pan in the oven for 2 minutes, or until the honey is slightly runny. Remove from the oven, tilting the pan and swirling so the honey lightly coats the bottom.

Sprinkle the cranberries and pecans in the pan. Place the peaches with the cut side down over the cranberry mixture. (Some of the mixture may not be covered.) Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the peaches are tender.

Arrange the peaches with the cut side up on a serving plate. Stir the margarine and gingerroot into the pan juices. Spoon the cranberry mixture into the cavities in the peaches. Spoon the pan juices over all. Serve warm or at room temperature.

FUDGY ZUCCHINI BROWNIES

This comes from Audra, otherwise known as The Baker Chick. If you haven’t check out her site, you really, really should. (Hint, hint.)

Anyway, Audra write, “I put green vegetables in your brownies - please don’t hate me.” She then goes on to talk about putting zucchini in her brownies. What can I saw, but I love her comments, as well as these brownies.

To view this online (and to check out Audra’s comments), go to http://www.thebakerchick.com/2014/08/fudgy-zucchini-brownies/.

Recipe adapted from: All Recipes

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut oil (another vegetable oil will work as well)

1-1/2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used dark)

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups finely shredded zucchini*

For the Frosting:

5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup melted butter

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray or grease a 9x13 baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar and vanilla until smooth and well-combined. Sprinkle the flour, cocoa powder, soda and salt over the wet ingredients and stir until just incorporated. (The batter will be dry at this point- worry.)

Fold in the zucchini and mix for just a few seconds or until batter is well combined.

Spread into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the pan comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Allow brownies to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

In a medium-large bowl, stir together the butter and cocoa powder until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with the milk. Stir in the vanilla.

Spread frosting over cooled brownies and enjoy!

Notes

*Finely shredding the zucchini helps it release more liquid leading to the right texture of brownies. If your batter seems extremely dry after combining all the ingredients, your zucchini may be on the dry side. You can add a tablespoon of water at a time until the batter comes together. The zucchini will release a lot of water during baking and help bind the brownies and give them their rich and fudgy texture!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CAKE WITH HAZELNUTS

This came from Brett Moore, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. Brett wrote, “Squash for dessert? Butternut squash makes a wonderful component for desserts. The complex flavor adds a nice dimension to your cake that your guests won't be able to figure out. The hazelnut frosting is the perfect complement to this sweet and moist cake.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 60 minutes; Total Time: 80 minutes; Yield: Serves 8 to 10

Brett wrote for About.com, which has since changed into .dash, where you can find The Spruce Eats, as well as other channels. While I still haven't found a link for this recipe on here (there had been one on about.com, which no longer works), I'll continue to look for it.

Ingredients

Cake:

4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup canola or other neutral oil

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

13-1/2 ounces (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 cup buttermilk

2-1/4 cups peeled and grated butternut squash (about 8 ounces)

Frosting:

1 lb unsalted butter, softened

4-2/3 cups powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup ground hazelnuts

1/4 cup whole hazelnuts, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9- by 13-inch cake pan or 10-cup Bundt pan.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add the oil and beat for about half a minute until combined.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well on low speed after each one.

Add the vinegar and vanilla and mix again until just combined.

Add half of the flour and the baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg, mixing on low speed until just combined. Add half of the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk.

Stir the squash into the batter and transfer the batter to the prepared pan; smooth the top evenly.

Bake for approximately an hour or until a toothpick or small knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes; then carefully invert the cake onto the rack and remove the pan.

When the cake is completely cool it may be frosted.

Make the Hazelnut Frosting:

Use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth.

Fold in the ground hazelnuts.

Frost cake. If you like, roughly chop some toasted hazelnuts and sprinkle over the top of the cake for decoration.

SIMPLE WATERMELON ICE CREAM

This is from a Publix email. Servings: 6; Active Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 6 hours, 16 minutes

To view this online, go to https://ww4.publix.com/recipes-planning/aprons-simple-meals/barbecue-cheddar-chicken-pasta-with-simple-watermelon-ice-cream. It comes with another recipe (Barbecue-Cheddar Chicken Pasta).

Note: Remove ice cream from freezer 15 minutes before serving for easier scooping.

Ingredients

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled/grated

2 cups fresh watermelon chunks

4 fresh mint leaves

3 cups heavy whipping cream

1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Plastic wrap

Directions

Peel ginger, then grate (2 tablespoons). Place watermelon in blender (or food processor); blend until smooth and pureed. Add mint leaves; blend until combined.

Beat whipping cream, condensed milk, ginger, vanilla, and salt with electric mixer on high until stiff peaks form. Slowly pour in 1 cup watermelon mixture, while continuing to beat on high, until combined.

Pour cream mixture into large loaf pan. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of cream mixture to help prevent ice crystals. Freeze 6 hours (or overnight) until firm. Serve. (Makes 8 servings.)

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