Fathers Day Faves Picnic

It's Bob's day, so he picked the menu, the location and the spot.

Our menu featured the Mid East Chicken Kebabs with Almond Yogurt Sauce and homemade pita bread.  The kebabs are great hot or cold.  (See recipe)  While I've been making the Arab Bread for years (See recipe) , I discovered a new trick yesterday:  I rolled each dough ball on a piece of aluminum foil with a non-stick finish on one side.  I simply lifted the individual pieces of foil with rolled dough ball into the oven and placed the foil and all directly on the baking stone to bake.  The pitas puffed beautifully!

Bob missed buying his favorite dessert at yesterday's Farmers Market, so I made him a coffee cake with a ground pecan topping.  We both have some dental issues, so grinding the nuts made it senior citizen friendly and ever so tasty.  Here is the recipe I put together with a topping from one, a batter from another, and making my own adjustments to reduce the sugar, use half whole wheat flour and good fats.

Pecan Upside Down Coffeecake

(Serves 8)

Topping
In small food processor, grind pecans.  Add sugar, cinnamon and salt.  Pulse in vanilla and buttery spread.
1 cup pecans
1/4 cup & 1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 tablespoon Earth Balance Buttery Spread
Press into bottom of small 7 1/2 inch spring-form pan.

Batter
In mixing bowl, beat egg and sugar for several minutes.
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg

In a separate bowl, mix flours, salt and baking powder.
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
 
In another bowl or measuring cup, mix milk, buttery spread, applesauce and vanilla.
3/4 cup skim milk
2 tablespoon Earth Balance Buttery Spread, melted
3 tablespoon applesauce, unsweeted
1 teaspoon vanilla 

Add 1/2 of dry mix to egg-sugar bowl, then 1/2 of liquid mix.  Repeat, mixing just until blended.  Do not over mix at this point!

Bake at 350 F. for 40 minutes.  Cool on rack for 20 minutes.  Invert and remove pan.

Bob picked the spot-Casselman River State Park near Grantsville, Maryland- 40 minutes from home.  My Dad used to drive over this bridge on old route 40 (the National Road) with Mom in their early courting days!

Thank you to all the men in our lives!