Scalloped Potatoes and Onions

I made these Scalloped Potatoes and Onions to go along with our Easter dinner last year. They turned out wonderfully, and were so creamy that you'd never know that they are made without milk. I am looking forward to making them again this coming weekend and thought I'd share the recipe with you all.  For our family, I doubled the recipe and used a 9x13 baking dish.

Scalloped Potatoes and Onions

Ingredients:

• 5 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons butter, margarine, or coconut oil
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• Paprika

Directions:

In a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish, layer potatoes and onion.
In a saucepan, melt the butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add broth, mayonnaise, salt and pepper; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika.
Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours or until tender.


If you have any favorite Easter side dishes to share, please feel free to leave them in the comment box, or submit a recipe to be posted here at Catholic Cuisine! 


Pin It

Meatless Meals :: Zucchini and Sweet Potato Frittata

I hope you are all having a blessed and fruitful Lent! I wanted to take a second to share one of our new favorite meatless meals this year: Zucchini and Sweet Potato Frittata.  With a newborn in our home I've had to find meals that are not only healthy, but quick and easy to make as well.   For those with allergies, this recipe is also free of dairy and grains. I've made it a few times now and it is definitely a keeper!

Zucchini and Sweet Potato Frittata

adapted from Paleo Diet Lifestyle

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Coconut Oil (or butter)
• 8 eggs
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut in slices
• 2 sliced zucchinis
• 1 sliced red bell pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Salsa, optional

Directions:

Heat the coconut oil in a pan over a medium-low heat.  Add the sweet potato slices and cook until softened, about 6-8 minutes.

Add the red bell pepper and zucchini slices and cook for another 4 minutes.

While the vegetables cook, whisk the eggs in a bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper.  Add the egg mixture to the cooking veggies.

Cook on low heat until just set, about 10 minutes.  Finish the frittata until golden under a heated broiler.

Cut the finished frittata into wedges and serve salsa, if desired.

You can find additional Meatless Meals for Lent in the archives!

Pin It

St. Valentine’s Sweet Pizza

 

SAINT VALENTINE

Priest and Martyr

~~~

Here is a yummy and semi healthy treat.

I found my inspiration from here.

Last year I used a boxed brownie mix and skipped on the suggested cream cheese spread.

This year I’m following a recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes found at Elana’s Pantry.  I’m also using her Vegan Chocolate Frosting.  It has quickly become a family favorite.  These cupcakes even passed the test for extended family who despises coconut flour and loves sugar.  

ENJOY this Sweet Treat with your loved ones on St. Valentine’s Day!

~~~

Recipe: Chocolate Cake/Cupcakes

Prep Time: 10 min. | Cook Time: 15 min.| Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 6-8 Cupcakes or 1 - 8in round cake

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• /4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/2 cup agave nectar

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• In a med. bowl, mix coconut flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.
• In a large bowl, mix eggs, oil, and agave.
• Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  Mix well.
• Grease cake pan with coconut oil or line cupcake pan with 1/4 cup of batter
• Bake at 375 ° for 10-15 minutes or until middle is set.
• Cool and cover with icing and heart-strawberries.

NOTES:

I recommend that you adjust the amount of agave nectar to suit your taste.  This was a bit sweet for me. 

----

Recipe: Chocolate Icing

Prep Time: -- | Cook Time: 25 min.| Difficulty: Easy | Servings: enough frosting to lightly frost 2 dozen cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• pinch of sea salt

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate and grapeseed oil.
• In a large bowl, mix eggs, oil, and agave.
• Stir in agave, vanilla and salt.
• Place frosting in freezer for 15 minutes to chill and thicken.
• Remove from freezer and whip frosting until it is thick and fluffy.
• Frost cake

NOTES:

“This gluten-free, dairy free and creamy chocolate frosting” fools everyone who tries it.  Sparkles and dad even ate the frosting in its solid state.  I love the sea salt!

----

Love Berries

INGREDIENTS

• strawberries

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• remove the stem by cutting a small triangle into the top of the strawberry
• slice strawberry in half – horizontally

NOTES:

Best with fresh strawberries. Pin It

Dairy-Free St. Nicholas Cocoa Mix

This recipe was submitted by Jamie, from Ad Silvam Ibimus.  Thank you Jamie! 

I tweaked the original St. Nicholas Cocoa Mix recipe to come up with a dairy free version for my son. I had looked high and low online and didn't find anything...so thought this might be helpful for other readers.  The results were delicious and we could taste no difference.

Dairy-Free St. Nicholas Cocoa Mix

Ingredients:

4 cups (one canister) Vance's DariFree* in original flavor
8oz Ghirardelli* instant cocoa
3/4 cups powdered sugar
2 cups miniature marshmallows
3-4 ounces finely crushed peppermint candy
Candy canes, optional

Directions:

Combine powdered milk, cocoa, powdered sugar, marshmallows and peppermint candy; mix well. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 2.5 quarts roughly

For each serving, put ½ cup of mix in a regular-size mug, fill with boiling water.

* Vance's DariFree can be found at any supermarket that has a good natural/alternative/allergen free section. I have found it at Wegman's and Whole Foods.  The Ghirardelli cocoa is the only I have found that is dairy free, but feel free to use any dairy free cocoa you come across. Any variety of Ghirardelli is fine just watch some of them do contain coffee and therefore caffeine. We used Double Chocolate flavor. Pin It

Lenten Chocolate Cake

The following recipe for Lenten Chocolate Cake was submitted by Abigail Burke. Thank you Abigail!

"I was raised in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and during Great Lent we followed a strict fast of no meat or dairy products (with the exceptions of Sundays). My parents, as well as other members of our church, were creative in coming up with recipes for families during this time. For example, if a birthday fell during Lent we made Lenten Chocolate Cake. It's a cake that requires no dairy or animal products. It's surprisingly moist and tasty. Here is the recipe--hope you enjoy!"

Lenten Chocolate Cake

Ingredients: 

3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
6 Tbsp good unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
3 Tbsp vinegar (any flavor will do; I generally use apple cider vinegar)
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup cooking oil
2 cups cold water

Directions: 

Sift the flour, baking soda, cocoa, salt and sugar together in a large bowl.

Add the vinegar, vanilla, oil, and water to the dry ingredients and mix well. Because of the soda and vinegar combination you'll see some bubbles and that's normal.

 Pour batter in a greased 9 x13 pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

You may make a butter cream frosting using margarine instead of butter if you like (to keep the cake dairy free) or dust with powdered sugar to serve. It also goes well with fresh fruit.

Pin It

Feast of the Holy Innocents

The Holy Innocents are shown with the Holy Family, in spirit,

during the Family's Flight to Egypt in this painting by William Holman Hunt.

On December 28th, the feast of the Holy Innocents, the Church honors all the little children who were killed by King Herod in his attempt to kill the Christ Child. These Holy Innocents were the first to die for Christ, and so they have been honored, since very early times, as martyrs.

There are many customs associated with this feast. One custom is to serve some sort of "baby food" (for example oatmeal), especially to the youngest members of the family. Another would be to let the youngest child "rule the day." This child would then get to choose the food, drinks, etc for the day. The traditional dessert for this feast is a white pudding with a red raspberry sauce, which symbolizes both the purity of the Holy Innocent's and their martyrdom. Other options include baking a white cake or serving vanilla ice cream with strawberry sauce.

We have a favorite Coconut Rice Pudding (that I have come up with from a number of various recipes) that we make for this feast that is both dairy and sugar free:


Coconut Rice Pudding

1/2 cup basmati rice, rinsed
14 oz can of coconut milk
2 cups water
1/4 cup agave nectar or honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup grated coconut (optional)

Directions:
Combine the rice, coconut milk, water and agave in saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 min, stirring occasionally. Take off heat, add cinnamon and vanilla. When the rice is cooked, spoon it into a mold or pretty glass. Place the rice pudding in the refrigerator to chill until serving.

Raspberry Sauce

1 cup raspberries
1 tbs. agave nectar (or 2 tbs. sugar)
1 tsp. corn starch
1/4 cup water

Directions:
Place the berries in a sauce pan, add the water and agave (or sugar) and bring to a boil. Save a few of the prettiest berries to use as garnish. Once the berries have cooked down, push them through a sieve to remove the seeds. Mix the corn starch with a little bit of the berry juice. Return the juice to the sauce pan and add the corn starch mixture. Cook a few minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and cool.

(Another option is to just use Red Raspberry Syrup, instead of the sauce, for convenience.)

To serve, turn the molded coconut pudding out onto a plate, spoon some of the sauce over and garnish with a few pretty berries.


If you have children, there is a special solemn blessing that parents should give their children on this day:

Father: O Lord, hear my prayer.
All: And let my cry come unto Thee.
Father: Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, once Thou embraced and placed Thy hands upon the little children who came to Thee, and said: "Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, and their angels always see the face of my Father!" Look now with fatherly eyes on the innocence of these children and their parents' devotion, and bless them this day through our prayers.
The father signs the forehead of each child with holy water.
Father: In Thy grace and goodness let them advance continually, longing for Thee, loving Thee, fearing Thee, keeping Thy commandments. Then they will surely come to their destined home, through Thee, Savior of the world. Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
All: Amen.
Father: May God bless you. And may He keep your hearts and minds -- the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.

Also, be sure to remember to pray for all the Holy Innocents in our own country at this time... All the innocent children who are being killed each and every day by abortion.

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life, And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters. I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion, Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death by the Resurrection of Your Son. I am ready to do my part in ending abortion. Today I commit myself Never to be silent, Never to be passive, Never to be forgetful of the unborn. I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement, And never to stop defending life Until all my brothers and sisters are protected, And our nation once again becomes A nation with liberty and justice Not just for some, but for all, Through Christ our Lord. Amen! (This prayer was written by Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director Priests for Life.)

Pin It