- Chicken Lettuce Wraps

CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS


Sauce:

¾ c Hoisin sauce
1½ tsp. rice vinegar
1 T liquid honey
2 T water
1 T fresh lime juice
2 tsp sesame oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tsp freshly grated ginger

Wraps:

2 boneless chicken breasts
⅓ c grated carrot
2 green onions, diagonally sliced
1 c dried steam-fried noodles
½ c unsalted peanuts, chopped

1 head iceburg lettuce, separated into whole leaves, core removed

In a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, blend sauce ingredients. Set aside to cool. Poach chicken in a small amount of water until no longer pink. Cool. Cut each breast in half horizontally and then dice to about 6 mm. In medium bowl, toss chicken, carrots and green onion with enough sauce to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Add noodles and peanuts, gently toss with more sauce to coat.

To Serve:

Set out lettuce and chicken mixture. Let guests wrap their own. Serve extra sauce on the side.

Notes:

1. Delicious as an appy or a main – I love these and can’t believe I hadn’t posted them before!!!

- Strawberry Brown Butter Bettys

STRAWBERRY BROWN BUTTER BETTYS

Yield: 6

Just under ½ c unsalted butter
1 tsp sugar
6 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
¼ c brown sugar
½ tsp lemon zest, finely grated
1/8 tsp salt
½ c panko crumbs
2 c strawberries, stemmed and sliced

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a small pot, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, reduce heat to medium low. The butter will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning, the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is less than a minute. Remove from heat.

Lightly butter muffin cups with some of the brown butter, then sprinkle with the sugar. Roll bread slices with a rolling pin to flatten. Brush both sides with additional brown butter, then gently fit into muffin cups.

Stir together the brown sugar, zest, salt and panko then add the strawberries and toss to coat. Stir in remaining brown butter. Heap strawberry mixture into cups, pressing gently.

Cover pan with foil and bake 15 minutes. Uncover and bake until strawberries are very tender, about 10 minutes or more. Let stand 5 minutes before removed from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

1. This is one of those recipes that I had no faith in but it was actually good. Great way to use the strawberries that dwell in our fridge at this time of year.

- Oven Baked BBQ Back Ribs

OVEN BAKED BBQ BACK RIBS


2 racks of back ribs.

Sauce:
1 c. (250 mL) water
1 c. (250 mL) brown sugar
½ c. (125 mL) vinegar
½ c. (125 mL) ketchup
2 tbsp. (30 mL) soya sauce
2 tbsp. (30 mL) cornstarch

Boil the ribs for 1 hour before roasting (this can be done way ahead and the ribs frozen, the day ahead and refrigerated, or immediately before roasting.

Preheat oven to 325.

Add all the ingredients together in a saucepan and cook on medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Spray a shallow roasting pan with Pam (it will save a lot of clean-up because the sauce is sticky). Place a small amount of the sauce in the bottom of the pan. Place the racks in the pan and cover with sauce. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the tin foil. Using a spoon, re-distribute the sauce over the ribs and roast, uncovered, for an additional 20 minutes or longer.

Notes:

1. This recipe doubles and triples really well and they are delicious.

- Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

RAISIN PECAN OATMEAL COOKIES


1½ c pecans
1 c unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c brown sugar, lightly packed
1 c white sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1½ c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
3 c old-fashioned oatmeal (not the quick cooking or instant)
1½ c raisins

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place the pecans on a sheet pan and roast for 5 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to cool. Chop very coarsely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together into a medium bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the oats, raisins, and pecans and mix just until combined.

Using a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop 2 inch mounds of dough onto sheet pans. Flatten slightly with a damp hand. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.

Notes:

1. I always make large cookies so if you do too you should be prepared to bake these for around 19 minutes.
2. Do not skip the step of roasting the pecans – it makes a world of difference. I always do a big batch and then keep them in the freezer.

- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES


1⅓ c unsalted butter, cold
1½ c light brown sugar, packed
1 c white sugar
2 large eggs, cold
1 T vanilla
3¾ c flour
1¼ tsp table salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°.

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars starting on low speed and working your way up to high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes once you reach high speed. Scrape the bowl and beater. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on low until blended. Beat on high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl and beater.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. Add this to the butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just blended; the dough will be stiff. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop rounded spoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart onto two ungreased baking sheets. Bake until the bottoms are golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes (see note). Remove sheets from the oven and immediately remove cookies to a rack to cool.

Notes:

1. The baking time is from the original recipe but I make bigger cookies and that increases the baking time (mine took around 19 minutes).

2. I am always trying new chocolate chip cookie recipes (see my previous posts) and in terms of simple ingredients and method, these are right up there with the best!

- Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

BANANA CUPCAKES WITH PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING


Cupcakes:

1¼ c flour
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 very ripe bananas, peeled
½ c sour cream
1½ tsp vanilla
¾ c white sugar
½ c unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk

Frosting:

1½ c icing sugar
1 - 8 oz package cream cheese, at room temperature
½ c unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ c smooth peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned or freshly ground)
Chopped lightly salted roasted peanuts (optional)

For cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl to blend. In another medium bowl, mash bananas with a fork until smooth. Mix sour cream and vanilla into bananas.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk and beat until well blended. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with banana-sour cream mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating just until blended after each addition. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups.

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center of each comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to rack and let cook completely.

For icing:

Sift icing sugar into a large bowl. Add cream cheese, butter and peanut butter. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until smooth. Spread frosting over top of cupcakes, dividing equally. Sprinkle lightly with chopped peanuts, if desired.

- Tomato Basil Capellini

TOMATO BASIL CAPELLINI


½ c olive oil
2 T chopped garlic
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
4 pints cherry tomatoes
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 T chopped fresh parsley

2 T kosher salt
Splash of olive oil
¾ lb Capellini pasta
1½ c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for 2 minutes on low heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until soft but not mushy. Remove from heat and add the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, basil and parsley to the pan.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to the boil, add the salt, oil and pasta. The pasta takes only a few minutes to cook because it is so fine so keep your eye on it. Once cooked, drain and add directly to the pan. Toss ingredients, sprinkle on cheese and toss again.

Notes:

1. The recipe was a real surprise. I am used to heavy sauces on pasta and made this with caution but I will really surprises - this was great!

- Maple Roasted Bacon

MAPLE ROASTED BACON


1 lb good quality bacon
3 T good quality maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400°.

Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and spray liberally with Pam. Arrange the bacon in one layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon begins to brown. Remove the pan carefully from the oven and brush the bacon sliced with the maple syrup. Bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the bacon is a warm golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and serve warm.

- Potato Basil Frittata

POTATO BASIL FRITTATA


8 T (1/2 c) unsalted butter, divided
2 c peeled and ½ inch diced boiling potatoes (Yukon Golds)
8 extra large eggs
15 oz ricotta cheese
¾ lb Gruyère cheese (see note)
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp finely ground black pepper
¾ c chopped fresh basil leaves
1/3 c all purpose flour
¾ tsp baking powder

Serves 8

Preheat oven to 350°.

Melt 3 T butter in a 10 inch oven proof pan (I used my well-seasoned cast iron pan) over medium low heat. Add the potatoes and fry them until cooked through, turning often, 10 to 15 minutes. Melt the remaining 5 T of butter in a small dish in the microwave.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then stir in the ricotta, Gruyère, melted butter, salt, pepper and basil. Sprinkle on the flour and baking powder and stir into the egg mixture.

Pour the egg mixture over the potatoes and place the pan in the center of the oven. Bake the frittata until it is browned and puffed, 50 minutes to an hour. It will be rounded and firm in the middle and a knife inserted in the frittata should come out clean. Serve hot.

Notes:

1. Made this yesterday for Mother’s Day and I really liked it. I am not a fan of Gruyère so I used a mixture of it, cheddar and mozzarella. It turned out great and what an easy thing to make when you are having company!

- Cauliflower, Tomato and Green Pea Curry

CAULIFLOWER, TOMATO AND GREEN PEA CURRY


1 small cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 ½ c green peas (I used frozen)
4 T oil (or ghee if you have it)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
¾ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 T madras curry powder
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp cardamom
¾ c yogurt (or sour cream)
2 large tomatoes, cut into thin wedges

Steam the cauliflower and peas until tender. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion, garlic and ginger over medium heat until soft and golden. Add the turmeric, coriander, curry powder, sugar, cardamom and yogurt and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cauliflower and peas and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Serve with rice.

Note:

If you don’t want rice you can add cooked potatoes cut into small chunks.

- Chocolate Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL PECAN CHEESECAKE

2 c vanilla wafer crumbs
1/3 c butter, melted
14 oz pkg Kraft caramels
6 oz can evaporated milk
1 c chopped pecans, toasted
2 - 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
½ c white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
½ c semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of a 9” springform pan and bake for 10 minutes. In a heavy saucepan, melt caramels with milk over low heat, stirring often until smooth. Pour over crust and top with chopped pecans. Combine cheese, sugar and vanilla and beat on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in melted chocolate and pour over pecans. Bake for 40 minutes. Cool and loosen cake from time of pan. Chill.

- Pecan Citrus Green Salad

PECAN CITRUS GREEN SALAD


Dressing:

6 T safflower or olive oil
4 T freshly squeezed orange juice
Grated zest of ½ a lime
2 T freshly squeezed lime juice
1 T (real) maple syrup
½ small shallot, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients and set aside (can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week).

Salad

6 c torn mixed greens or romaine lettuce
¾ c pecans halves
½ c dried cranberries

Place greens in a large salad bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle with pecans and cranberries.

- Coconut Mango Rice

COCONUT MANGO RICE


1½ basmati rice
2 T butter
1 small onion – finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T minced gingerroot
1 T Madras curry powder
1 can (14 oz/400 mL) coconut milk
2½ c water
4 green onions, chopped
1 mango, peeled and chopped
½ c packed fresh parsley (or cilantro)
¼ c sliced almonds, toasted

Rinse rice in several changes of cold water and drain thoroughly; set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté onion and red pepper for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and ginger; sauté for 15 seconds or until fragrant. Add rice and curry powder, stirring to coat rice. Add coconut milk and water; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork, stirring in green onions, mango, parsley and almonds.

Serves 6

- Spicy Noodle Salad

SPICY NOODLE SALAD


Dressing:
1/3 c soy sauce
¼ c white wine vinegar
2 T sweet chili sauce
2 T white sugar
2 T sesame oil
1 inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and minced or grated
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp chili flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ c vegetable oil


450 g vermicelli (based on my using ½ a 900 g package)
1 c grated carrots
3 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal


In a medium bowl (or jar), whisk together all of the sauce ingredients except for the oil. Gradually whisk in vegetable oil in a thin stream. Refrigerate until ready to use (can be made up to one week in advance). Whisk again (or if using a jar, shake vigorously) just before using.

Toss with cooked pasta, carrots and green onions.

Notes:

1. I like to mix the salad together about 3 hours before serving and leave it in the fridge until ready to serve.
2. Leftovers store very well in the fridge.

- Lifesaver Punch

LIFESAVER PUNCH


2 x 250 ml can frozen strawberry daiquiri mix
2 x 355 ml can frozen pink lemonade
4 l club soda
Lots of ice
Fresh or frozen strawberries or raspberries
Vodka, optional (depending on how your day is going)

Thaw and combine daiquiri mix and lemonade. Add soda water and ice. Float strawberry slices on top.

Notes:

1. I recently made the non-alcohol version of this for a shower and everyone loved it.

- Apple Cheddar Bruschetta

APPLE CHEDDAR BRUSCHETTA


1 baguette (sliced on the diagonal in 24 slices)
2 red-skinned apples, sliced very thinly
24 thin slices of sharp white cheddar cheese
½ c sweet Asian chili sauce
Olive oil


Place bread place slices on a parchment lined (only because it makes life so much easier) baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over bread slices and place under broiler until just starting to crisp. Remove from oven.

Top each slice of bread with 2 apple slices and 1 slice of cheese. Broil once again until cheese is a golden color. Remove from oven and drizzle with chili sauce.

- Spanish Chicken & Rice

SPANISH CHICKEN & RICE


1 T vegetable oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Chorizo sausages, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T tomato paste
2 tsp paprika
¼ tsp hot pepper flakes (optional)
1½ c long grain white rice
3½ c chicken broth
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 bag (10 0z/300 g) prewashed baby spinach

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown chicken and transfer to a plate. Add sausages, onion and pepper to skillet and sauté for about 5 minutes or until sausage is browned. Add garlic, tomato paste, paprika and hot pepper flakes (if using); sauté for 15 seconds. Add rice, chicken broth and tomatoes, scraping up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the liquid is partially absorbed, return chicken to pan, cover and simmer, adding more broth if necessary, for 10 minutes or until rice is tender, liquid is absorbed and chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove from heat and, using a fork, gently stir in spinach. Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted.

Serves 4.

Notes:

1. I am not a spicy food lover and I do not like most sausage concoctions but I have to say I really liked this dish. It was mildly spicy and if you don’t like spice at all, leave out the peppers and don’t eat the sausage (I didn’t eat the sausage but it does add a lot of flavour).

2. This dish took about 30 minutes to make!

- Lemon Chicken

LEMON CHICKEN

3 T butter, divided
4 c sliced white mushrooms
6 green onions, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ c flour
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
½ c chicken broth
¼ c dry white wine
1 T sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
¼ c lemon juice
¼ c sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a large skillet, melt 2 T of the butter over medium heat. Sauté mushrooms, green onions and garlic for about 5 minutes or until just softened. Transfer to a 12 c casserole dish. In a large bowl, combine flour, paprika, salt and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat. Remove chicken to a plate, reserving the remaining flour mixture. Wipe out skillet and melt the remaining butter over medium-high heat. Brown chicken and transfer to casserole. In the skillet, whisk together reserved flour mixture, chicken broth, wine, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened. Pour over chicken, cover and bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds and bake, uncovered for 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside.

Serves 4

- Stir Fried Broccoli

STIR-FRIED BROCCOLI


3 T chicken broth
1 T dry sherry
3 T oyster sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp brown sugar
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp plus 1 T vegetable oil
1½ lbs broccoli florets cut into ¾ inch pieces, stalks trimmed and cut into ¼ inch slices
¼ tsp sugar


Whisk broth, sherry, oyster sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch and brown sugar together in a small bowl. Combine the garlic, pepper flakes and 1 tsp vegetable oil in a second small bowl.

Heat remaining 1 T vegetable oil in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add broccoli and sprinkle with sugar; cook, stirring frequently, until broccoli is well-browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

Push broccoli to sides of skillet to clear center; add oil-garlic mixture and cook, mashing with rubber spatula, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Stir to combine garlic mixture with broccoli. Add chicken broth mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until florets are cooked through, stalks are tender-crisp and sauce is thickened, 30 to 45 seconds. Serves 4.

- Pulled Pork

PULLED PORK

Pork:

1 c plus 2 tsp table salt
½ c plus 2 T sugar
3 T plus 2 tsp liquid smoke
1 boneless pork butt roast (about 5 lbs), cut in half horizontally
¼ c mustard
2 T ground black pepper
2 T paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Barbeque Sauce

1½ c ketchup
¼ c light or mild molasses
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T hot sauce
½ tsp table salt
½ tsp ground black pepper

Dissolve 1 c salt, ½ c sugar and 3 T liquid smoke in 4 quarts of cold water in a large container. Submerge pork in brine, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

While pork brines, combine mustard and remaining 2 tsp liquid smoke in small bowl; set aside. Combine black pepper, paprika, remaining 2 T sugar, remaining 2 tsp salt and cayenne pepper in second small bowl; set aside. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 325°.

Remove pork from brine and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Rub mustard mixture over entire surface of each piece of pork. Sprinkle entire surface of each piece with spice mixture. Place pork on a wire rack in a shallow roaster that has been sprayed with Pam and lined with tin foil (see Note 2). Place a piece of parchment paper over the pork then cover with a sheet of aluminum foil, sealing edges to prevent moisture from escaping. Roast pork for 3 hours.

Remove pork from oven; remove and discard foil and parchment. If, unlike me, you have any extra liquid in the bottom of the roaster, carefully pour off the liquid into a fat separator and reserve for the sauce. Return the pork to the oven and cook, uncovered, until well browned, tender and internal temperature registers 200° on thermometer (approximately 1½ hrs). Transfer pork to serving dish, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 mins.

While the pork rests, heat the sauce in a saucepan and add ½ c of defatted liquid from the roast (I didn’t have any liquid at all) into the sauce.

Remove the tin foil lining from the roaster. Using 2 forks, shred the pork into bite-sized pieces. Toss with 1/2 or all of the sauce (I used it all) and serve on buns of your choice.

Serves 8 - 10.

Notes:

1. Everyone enjoyed this but it was a bit spicy for me. I would make the same recipe again but if I was making it for people with “delicate” tastebuds, I would reduce the amount of black pepper, cayenne pepper and hot sauce.
2. Originally I could not figure out why the pan had to be lined with tin foil and the meat cooked on a wire rack. My racks took quite a beating and I then realized that the wire rack had some kind of reaction with the rubs and that would have happened to the roaster if the meat was placed directly on the bottom of the pan. My racks took quite a beating but the final result was worth it.

March 1, 2010

I just realized that I have posted my 100th recipe! Thank you to everyone for checking out my blog!

- Whole Wheat Cinnamon Waffles

WHOLE WHEAT CINNAMON WAFFLES

Yields about 8 waffles depending on size of waffle iron

2 eggs
1 ½ c Buttermilk (or regular milk mixed with 1 T lemon juice)
¼ c vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ c all purpose flour
½ c whole wheat flour
¼ c oat bran
2 T white sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Pam

Preheat an electric waffle iron and spray liberally with Pam.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together the 2 flours, oat bran, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Spoon about 1/3 c batter per waffle into iron. Close lid and cook until waffles are golden brown and steam stops coming out the sides.

Notes:

1. I know these sound too healthy to be good but they are delicious and you don’t taste all the healthy stuff. I wouldn’t have tried them if my daughter-in-law hadn’t told me about them (thanks Sherie).

2. I found myself grateful for a couple of things after I made the batter. Firstly, I was able to cook 1 batch (enough for my granddaughters) before the life of my waffle iron came to an end and secondly that I spend so much money on groceries that I discovered I had enough points for a free Cuisinart waffle iron from Save-On Foods.

- Chocolate Mud Pie

CHOCOLATE MUD PIE


1 8 oz pkg. chocolate wafers (crushed)
1/2 c butter + 3 T
1 1/2 pints coffee ice cream, softened
1/3 c cocoa
2/3 c + 2 T sugar
1 1/3 c whip cream
1 T + 1 tsp vanilla extract
2 squares semi-sweet chocolate (for garnish)

In small saucepan over low heat, melt 1/2 c. butter. Add the chocolate crumbs and stir with a fork to combine. Press into the bottom and sides of a 9" pie plate (or use a spring form pan). Bake at 375 degrees for 10 mins. Cool crust completely on wire rack.

Once the pan has cooled, carefully spread coffee ice cream onto crust; freeze until firm, about 1 1/2 hrs.

In large saucepan over medium heat, cook cocoa, 2/3 c sugar, 1/3 c whipping cream and 3 T butter until mixture is smooth and boils. Remove from heat and stir in 1 T vanilla. Cool mixture slightly then pour over coffee ice cream. Return pie to freezer, freezing at least 1 hour.

TO SERVE: In small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat remaining whipping cream with 2 T sugar and 1 tsp vanilla until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream over pie. Garnish with chocolate curls.


Notes:

1. Remember this dish that was so popular 20 years ago? It is still delicious and I probably hadn't made it in 2o years!

2. Coffee ice cream can be expensive but I found that the Safeway Lucerne brand works very well at half the cost of many of the others!

- Japanese Chicken Breasts

JAPANESE CHICKEN BREASTS

Serves 8 easily

6 chicken breasts
3 beaten eggs
2½ c flour
1 c butter

Slice chicken into really thin pieces (much like slicing salmon for lox). Dip in slightly beaten egg and then in flour. Fry in butter until deep brown (remember if the chicken is sticking to the pan it is not ready to flip over – it should flip easily) and crisp. Place in shallow casserole dish (this part can be done ahead of time).

Preheat oven to 350°.

Sauce:

6 T soya sauce
6 T water
2 c white sugar (I know, I know)
1 c white vinegar
1 tsp salt

Add all sauce ingredients to a saucepan and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover the casserole dish with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove tin foil and bake for a further 15 - 30 minutes, basting the chicken with the sauce occasionally during baking time.

Notes:

1. If I had not tasted this recipe at a friend’s (thanks Bonnie) house I would never have made it based on the simple ingredients. This is delicious and I can’t imagine anyone (kid or adult) not liking it.
2. The original recipe is for Japanese Chicken Wings and in the proportions that I have indicated for the balance of ingredients, you would need 6 lbs of wings.
3. This recipe goes well with Jasmine rice.
4. I usually get the chicken and the sauce done early in the day, refrigerate it until it is time to bake and then pour the sauce over the chicken.

- Cashew Rice Pilaf

CASHEW RICE PILAF

Serves 6

1½ c white basmati rice
1 T vegetable oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
4 whole cloves
2 inch piece of cinnamon stick
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground cardamom
1 onion, finely chopped
3 c boiling water
1 carrot, finely chopped
½ c frozen peas
½ c frozen corn kernels
¼ c unsalted roasted cashews or sliced almonds, toasted
2 T chopped cilantro (or if you are like me and hate it, substitute with parsley)

Place rice in a large bowl and cover with cold water; let stand for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse well under cold running water.

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté cumin seeds for about 40 seconds or until browned and fragrant. Add cloves, cinnamon stick, salt and cardamom; sauté for 15 seconds or until fragrant. Add onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Add rice, stirring to coat with spices. Add boiling water, carrot, peas and corn; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat, stir in cashews, cove and let rice steam for 10 minutes or until tender. Discard cloves and cinnamon stick. Fluff with a fork. Stir in cilantro (or parsley) if using.

Notes:

1. I reduced the spices by half because I didn’t want the rice to be over-powering. It is quite good even with the reduction. If I was going to serve this with say, butter chicken, I would use the full amount of spices.

- Tweed Cake

TWEED CAKE

Cake:
½ c butter
½ c milk
2 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
⅔ c sugar
1⅓ c flour
2 egg whites (you’ll use the yolks for the icing)
2 squares of semi-sweet chocolate (grated)

Cream butter, add sugar gradually. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk. Fold in grated chocolate then egg whites. Pour into an 8 x 8 square pan that has been sprayed with Pam.

Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes.

Icing:
⅓ c butter
1½ c icing sugar
2 egg yolks
dash of vanilla

Cream butter, add sugar gradually, add yolks and vanilla. Once the cake has cooled, ice the cake.

Topping:
½ square semi-sweet chocolate
1 T butter

Once the icing has set, melt semi-sweet chocolate with butter and drizzle over icing. Swirl with knife if desired. Cool until topping has set.

Notes:

1. This is a recipe that I have had for over 30 years. I always forget about it and when I make it I realize how very easy and how delicious it is. It is great because the ingredients are all things that you have on hand. This time I used grated Toblerone bar because I always have some stored in my freezer.

- Apricot Macaroon Cheesecake

APRICOT MACAROON CHEESECAKE


2 c crumbled soft macaroons
2 envelopes unflavoured gelatin
½ c white sugar
1 c apricot nectar (or syrup from canned apricots)
½ c apricot brandy
¼ c lemon juice
4 egg yolks
2 – 1c pkgs. cream cheese, softened
4 egg whites
½ c white sugar
1 c whipping cream, whipped

TOPPING:
2 14 oz. cans apricot halves, in light syrup
½ c apricot brandy
2 tsp. cornstarch

Press macaroon crumbs in bottom of 9 inch springform pan.

In medium saucepan, combine gelatin, ½ c sugar, nectar, ½ c brandy and lemon juice. Whisk in egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until slightly thickened (8 to 10 minutes). Remove from heat. Beat cream cheese in large bowl of electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in egg mixture. Chill until slightly thickened.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gradually beat in sugar, beating to stiff peaks. Fold into thickened gelatin mixture along with whipped cream. Turn into crumb-lined pan. Smooth top. Chill several hours or until firm. Run knife around edge; remove ring.

Topping:
Apricot halves should be drained and excess moisture removed with paper towel. Cover top of cheesecake with apricot halves. In a small saucepan, combine brandy and cornstarch. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and then pour over the apricot halves.

- Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions

TOMATO SAUCE WITH BUTTER AND ONIONS

28 oz (800 grams) whole peeled tomatoes from a can
5 T (70 grams) unsalted butter
1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt to taste

Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste and keep warm while you prepare your pasta.

Serve with your favorite pasta and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Notes:

1. I made this recipe because I simply could not believe that anything this simple could taste good – I was seriously wrong. I served it with a pasta (Fusilli Bucati Corti) that I had never used before (thinking that if I made it with familiar pasta I would start to compare it with other meaty or spicy, more complicated sauces). I liked it just the way it was and really appreciated the deep tomato flavour.
2. I used good quality canned tomatoes from my favorite Italian deli.
3. I didn’t discard the onion – it was so full of flavour that my husband ate it as a sidedish.
4. This recipe feeds 3 people.

- Disappointments

Sorry - as you may have already figured out - this is not a recipe! I had planned to post three new recipes that I was trying this week but I made all of them (one soup and two desserts) and not only were they not blogworthy, the soup went down the garburator!

Stay tuned and don't lose faith. There has to be a success around the corner - doesn't there?

Cath

- Créme Brûlée

Créme Brûlée


1 extra large egg
4 extra large egg yolks
½ c sugar, plus 1 T for each serving
3 c whipping cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 T Grand Marnier

Preheat oven to 300º.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks and ½ c of the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it’s very hot to the touch but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and Grand Marnier and pour into 6 oz or 8 oz ramekins until almost full.

Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.

To serve, spread 1 T of the sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar caramelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens.

This can be made a couple of days ahead but the final step must be done just before serving.

Notes:

1. Guys seem to love this dessert (women enjoy it but wonder “where’s the chocolate”?)

- Coq au Vin

COQ AU VIN


6 large garlic cloves, smashed
4 whole black peppercorns
2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
1 bay leaf
7 sprigs flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves separated
2 T olive oil
8 oz pearl onions, peeled
12 oz white button mushrooms, halved or quartered
2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 T unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 T brandy
1 c dry red wine
3 ¼ c chicken stock
1 T tomato paste
1 T cornstarch

Using a small piece of cheesecloth, make a bouquet garni. Wrap 3 garlic cloves, peppercorns, thyme, bay leaf and parsley stems; tie in a bundle with kitchen twine. Set aside.

In a Dutch oven, heat 1 T oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and remaining 3 cloves of garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Cut the chicken into strips about 2 inches long and ¾ inch wide. Add the butter and remaining 1 T of olive oil to the skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook in two batches until browned, about 1 minute per side. Return all of the chicken to the skillet. Add the brandy and wine. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on bottom of pan. Add chicken stock; stir in tomato paste. Add bouquet garni. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, covered, 15 minutes. Add the reserved mushrooms, onions and garlic. Cook 5 minutes more.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken and vegetables to a bowl. Discard bouquet garni. Over high heat, reduce broth by half, about 12 minutes. In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 1 T cold water. Stir back into broth, and mix until incorporated. Cook 2 minutes. Return chicken, onions and mushrooms to pot; cook over warm heat until thoroughly warm. Chop parsley leaves, and stir in. Garnish with thyme and serve.

Notes:

1. I cheated on the bouquet garni. I bought the pre-made version at the Gourmet Warehouse on Hastings in Vancouver (my favourite specialty shop).

2. This recipe says it feeds 6 but I doubled it to feed 7 – it all depends on how hearty your guests’ appetites are!

3. I served this with Duchesse potatoes (recipe also posted) which are yummy (I had a hard time not eating all of the potato mixture before I piped it) and pan sautéed asparagus (okay we started with French Onion soup (previously posted) and ended with Crème Brûlée (recipe also posted).

- Duchese Potatoes

DUCHESSE POTATOES

Russet potatoes
Eggs
Butter
Whipping Cream
Shredded Gruyere Cheese

Boil and mash potatoes.

For each 2 cups of plain, hot, mashed potatoes, add salt, pepper, 2 eggs, 3 T of butter and 2 to 3 T of whipping cream, stirring after each addition and making sure that the mixtures is not too runny otherwise they will not hold their shape.

Pipe potatoes onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle a small amount of shredded cheese on top.

Bake in the upper third of a 400° oven for about 30 minutes until lightly browned.

Serve immediately. You can also pipe these onto the sheet earlier in the day and bake at the last minute.

- Yorkshire Pudding

YORKSHIRE PUDDING

6 eggs
1 c milk
1 c water
2 c flour
Vegetable oil (about 1 tsp for each muffin cup)

Preheat oven to 425°.

Whisk the eggs, milk and water together, add the flour.

Spray a 12 muffin pan with Pam. Put 1 tsp oil into each muffin cup and heat the pan in the oven until the oil is very hot. Immediately pour the batter into the pan and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

After the baking time turn on the broiler (don’t move the oven rack) and broil for a minute or two to set up the yorkies. Keep you eye on them or they will burn!!!

Notes:

1. The broiling time is a tip that I got about a year ago and it really helps maintain the size (because yorkies are notorious for shrinking after you take them from the oven).

- Overnight Raspberry French Toast

OVERNIGHT RASPBERRY FRENCH TOAST


8 slices white bread, torn into small pieces
8 oz pkg cream cheese, cut into small pieces
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
½ c sliced almonds (toasted)
6 eggs
½ c white sugar, divided
½ c milk
½ c half and half cream
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Grease 8 inch square glass baking dish. Scatter half the bread pieces in the dish. Arrange cream cheese, raspberries and almonds on top. Finish with the remaining bread pieces. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, ¼ c sugar, the milk, cream and cinnamon. Pour over bread. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over top. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Bake French Toast, covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 30 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Serve with maple syrup.

Notes:

1. I used frozen raspberries and then put a few fresh ones on top just before serving. If using frozen raspberries, don’t thaw them first.
2. This takes about 10 minutes to put together.

- Beef Barley Soup

BEEF BARLEY SOUP

2 c leftover (lean) roast beef, chopped
9 c cold water
1 c tomato juice
1 c barley
½ c finely chopped onion
½ c carrots cut into one inch strips
3 T beef Bovril
1 tsp salt
½ c celery, chopped

Combine all ingredients and cook for 3 hours until barley is tender.

- Chocolate Chip Square

CHOCOLATE CHIP SQUARE


2/3 c. butter
2¼ c. brown sugar
3 eggs beaten
2 ¾ c. flour
2½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 c. chocolate chips
½ - 1 c. chopped nuts

Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Mix together butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and then remaining ingredients (strange consist¬ency but it works) and place in pan.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Slice while warm.

- Peanut Brittle

PEANUT BRITTLE


1 c white sugar
1/2 c clear corn syrup
1 c roasted salted peanuts
1 tsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda

Grease a cookie sheet.

In a 2 litre casserole dish (I use a clear glass pyrex dish), stir together the sugar and syrup. Microwave on high for 4 minutes.

Stir in the peanuts. Microwave on high for 7 to 9 minutes until light brown (the more powerful your microwave, the less time it will take).

Add butter and vanilla to syrup, blending well. Microwave on high 1 minute more. Peanuts will be lightly browned and syrup very hot.

Add baking soda and gently stir until light and foamy (caution – this will instantly increase in volume and will be extremely hot at this point - be very careful not to burn yourself).

Pour mixture onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Allow to cool. When cool, break into small pieces. Store in an air-tight container.

Notes:

1. Don’t underestimate how hot this gets. This is not a recipe to be made with a child.
2. I actually put the cookie sheet outside (if it is cold enough) and the brittle sets in about 10 minutes.

- Egg Nog

EGG NOG


12 eggs, separated
1½ c super fine sugar (I use Berry sugar)
1 litre homogenized milk
1½ litre whipping cream
1 c amber rum
1 c brandy
Freshly grated nutmeg

In a very large bowl, beat egg yolks until pale yellow. Gradually add the sugar to the yolks. With a wire whisk, beat in the milk and 1 litre of the whipping cream. Add the alcohol, stirring constantly.

Just before serving, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold into mixture. Whip remaining whipping cream until stiff and fold in. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Notes:

1. Think this is a lot of alcohol? The original recipe calls for 51/2 c alcohol.
2. This is not like anything you could ever buy in a store. It is creamy and delicious (what I would think tasting a cloud would be like).

- Sausage Rolls

SAUSAGE ROLLS


2 lbs. sausage meat
2 c. cracker crumbs (I use Vegetable Thins)
1 pkg. Lipton onion soup mix
2 pkg. Tenderflake frozen puff pastry
2 eggs (whisked with 1 T water)

Mix first 3 ingredients together.

Roll out pastry and cut each portion (there are two portions in each package) in half.

At the edge closest to you place 1/8th of the sausage filling along the length of the edge. At the edge farthest away from you, brush the egg wash along the top (this will become the glue). Starting at the edge with the sausage filling, roll up to meet the top. You can then cut them in your desired size (see notes).

Once cut, place on a rack on a cookie sheet (that way any excess grease goes on the pan and doesn’t stay in the sausage roll) and brush the tops with the egg wash.

Bake at 400º for 20 minutes.

Notes:

1. I like two-bite size sausage rolls so if you cut each portion you will yield around 60 cocktail-size sausage rolls.

2. After rolling, the best way to cut to desired size is to use dental floss. That way they cut but they don’t squish as they would with a knife.

3. These are hands down the best you will ever have.

- Sweet & Spicy Pecans

Sweet & Spicy Pecans

1 lb or 5 cups pecan
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 T vegetable oil
1 T ground cumin
1 tsp each chili power and ground coriander
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp each cinnamon, cloves and cayenne pepper

Blanch pecan halves in boiling water for 1 minute; drain well. Transfer immediately to large bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and drizzle with oil; toss to coat well. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle in single layer on greased foil-lined rimmed baking sheets. Bake in 325° oven, turning every 5 minutes, for 25 minutes or until nuts are crisp and slightly darkened.

Meanwhile, in metal cake pan or other heatproof pan, combine cumin, chili powder, coriander, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and cayenne; toast in oven alongside nuts for 5 minutes.

Dump nuts into large bowl; sprinkle with spices and toss to coat well. Spread in single layer on baking sheet to cool.

Store in airtight containers for up to 2 weeks (or more).

Notes:

1. These are absolutely addicting but fair warning – these spices stink (there is no better way to describe them). Absolutely everyone who has made them says that their house smelled awful and they thought they would have to throw them out (and pecans aren’t cheap) but I had warned them in advance and they were patient. These taste absolutely nothing like they smell. Your only problem will be putting the jar away after you have started. Another great gift idea.

- Nuts + Bolts

NUTS + BOLTS

1½ lbs. (750 g) mixed nuts
½ lb. (250 g) cashews
1 - 15 oz. (420 g) box Cheerios
1 - 24 oz. (750 g) Shreddies
9 oz. (280 g) pkg. pretzels
6 tsp. (30 mL) garlic salt
5 tsp. (25 mL) celery salt
2 tsp. (10 mL) onion salt
3 tbsp. (45 mL) Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. (10 mL) A-1 or H.P. steak sauce
2½ c. (625 mL) butter

Use 2 very large roasters or 2 very large lasagne pans.

Mix the first 5 ingredients together.

Melt the butter in a saucepan with all of the seasonings. Pour over the dry ingredients and separate into two pans..

Bake at 200° for 2½ - 3 hours stirring frequently (every 20 - 30 minutes).

Notes:

1. These store very well and after cooling I put them in plastic bags for several weeks. They make great Xmas gifts.

- Cinnamon Shortbread

CINNAMON SHORTBREAD


1/2 lb. butter
1/2 lb. Crisco shortening
1/2 c. berry sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
4 c. flour
4 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt

Roll out dough and cut cookies with cutters. Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 300° for 20 minutes.

Mix additional 1/2 c. berry sugar with 1 tsp. of cinnamon.

After taking cookies out of oven, and while they are still warm, toss in sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Notes:

1) These cookies are melt in your mouth fabulous. They would make a wonderful Christmas gift and are part of my Christmas baking tradition.

- Chocolate Bark

CHOCOLATE BARK


8 oz semi-sweet chocolate melting wafers (or milk chocolate if you prefer)
2 oz white chocolate melting wafers
½ cup cashew pieces
½ cup coconut
½ cup chopped dried mangoes


Melt semi-sweet chocolate in double boiler, add cashews, coconut and mangoes. Mix together and spread on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with Pam. Once cooled drizzle (or spread) with layer of melted white chocolate. Cool & crack into smaller pieces.

Notes:

This is fabulous and makes for an impressive (but way easy) Christmas gift.

- New York Cheesecake

New York Cheesecake

1¼ cups finely ground graham crackers
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup butter (room temperature)

5 8-oz packages of cream cheese (room temperature)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla
1¾ cup sugar
3 tbsp all purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
¼ cup whipping cream

Mix graham cracker crumbs, ¼ cup sugar and butter using pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press firmly into bottom and ½ inch up sides of 9 inch spring form pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 500°F. Beat cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer until very smooth. Blend in lemon juice and vanilla. Sift sugar, flour and salt. Gradually beat into cream cheese, then continue beating until moisture is creamy, smooth and light – about 5 minutes.

Beat in eggs and yolks one at a time, beating lightly after each addition.

Blend in cream. Pour into crust. Bake 12 minutes. Reduce temperature to 200°F. Continue baking until tester inserted into center comes out clean (about 45 minutes).

Gently run sharp knife around edge of pan. Cool cake completely in pan on rack.

Refrigerate at least 8 hours.

Notes: I should have posted this a long time ago and thought I had - it is the best ever!!

- Date Nut Spice Bread

DATE NUT SPICE BREAD


2 c coarsely chopped dates
1/3 c Cointreau or Triple Sec
1/4 c unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ c brown sugar, lightly packed
1 extra large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 T grated orange zest
2 c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp kosher salt
¾ c freshly squeezed orange juice
¾ c coarsely chopped pecans

Orange Cream Cheese Spread:

6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 c white sugar
1 T grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a regular size (8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ inch) loaf pan with Pam. Line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.

Combine the dates and Cointreau in a small bowl and set aside for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl. With the mixer on low, add the egg, vanilla and orange zest. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. With the mixer still on low, add the flour mixture alternately with the orange juice to the creamed mixture, beating only until combined. By hand stir in the dates with their liquid, and the pecans.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese, sugar and orange rind on medium speed until just combined.

Slice the bread and serve with the orange cream cheese on the side for spreading.

- Classic Green Bean Casserole

CLASSIC GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Topping:

4 slices white bread, each slice torn into quarters
2 T unsalted butter, softened
¼ tsp table salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
3 c (2 cans) fried onions

Beans and Sauce:

Table salt
2 lbs green beans, ends trimmed and halved
3 T unsalted butter
1 lb white button mushrooms, cleaned and cut into ½ inch slices
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Black pepper
3 T flour
1½ c chicken broth
1½ c whipping cream

TOPPING: Pulse bread, butter, salt, and pepper in food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about ten 1-second pulses. Transfer to large bowl and toss with onions; set aside.

BEANS: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425º. Fill large bowl with ice water. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven. Add 2 T salt and the beans. Cook beans until bright green and crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Drain beans in colander and plunge immediately into ice water to stop cooking. Spread beans on paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain.

SAUCE: Add butter to now-empty Dutch oven and melt over medium-high heat until foaming subsides. Add mushrooms, garlic, ¾ tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper; cook until mushrooms release moisture and liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and bring to simmer, stirring constantly. Add cream, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until sauce is thickened and reduced to 3½ cups, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

COMBINE: Add green beans to sauce and stir until evenly coated. Arrange in even layer in 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with topping and bake until top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling around edges, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes:
1. We had this for Thanksgiving supper and it was a hit. I am sure there exists a recipe that is made with cream of mushroom soup rather than the sauce but I wouldn’t take the shortcut.
2. The components of the casserole can be prepared ahead of time (I did this, by the way). Store the bread-crumb topping in an airtight container in the refrigerator and combine with the onions just before cooking. Combine the beans and cooled sauce in a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. To serve, remove the plastic wrap and heat the casserole in a 425º oven for 10 minutes, then add the topping and bake as directed.

- Winner's Rice

WINNER'S RICE


½ c (125 mL) chopped onion
¼ c (60 mL) butter
1 c (250 mL) sliced mushrooms
1 c (250 mL) long grain rice
2 T (30 mL) chopped fresh parsley
1 T (15 mL) lemon juice
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
¼ tsp (1 mL) pepper
¼ tsp (1 mL) cayenne pepper
¼ tsp (1 mL) thyme
2 c (500 mL) boiling chicken broth

Sauté chopped onion in butter. Add sliced mushrooms. Add long grain rice. Stir until well coated. Add parsley, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cayenne, and thyme. Mix and turn into casserole dish. Add boiling chicken broth. Stir and cover.

Bake at 375° for 25 minutes.

- Rice Pilaf

RICE PILAF

Rice:
1 T butter
1 c chopped onion
1½ c long grain white rice
3 c chicken stock
¼ tsp fresh or dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
¼ tsp ground pepper

Vegetable garnish:
1 T olive oil
½ c peeled and diced red bell pepper
½ c fresh asparagus, peeled and cut into 1 inch lengths
½ c shelled fresh green peas (or frozen will do)
1/8 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in the saucepan. When hot, stir in the onions and cook for a few minutes to soften. Add the rice and stir well to coat the grains with butter.

Pour in the chicken stock; add the thyme, bay leaf, salt to taste, and several grinds of pepper; then raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to very low, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed. (If you want to serve the pilaf plan, you can just fluff the grains with a fork and serve at this point).

While the rice is cooking, prepare the vegetable garnish. Set the sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the tablespoon of oil and all of the vegetables, and toss together. Add about 4 tablespoons of water (just enough to come partway up the side of the vegetables), sprinkle on the salt and pepper, and swirl the pan to mix.

Bring the water to the boil, cover the pan, and cook for about 5 minutes. Check the water level once or twice, adding a little more if necessary and taste the vegetables for doneness.

- Mexican Rice

MEXICAN RICE

2 T oil
1 c uncooked rice
1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes (or Mexican stewed if available)
1 small onion, minced
¼ c green pepper, chopped
2 T salt
1 tsp chilli powder
2 c water

In a large skillet, heat oil and add rice. Sauté, stirring, for 5 minutes or until evenly browned. Add all ingredients and mix well. Cover with a lid and simmer until rice is tender, approximately 30 minutes. Remove lid and allow to dry out.

- Cheddar Beer Bread

CHEDDAR BEER BREAD

3 c flour
1 T baking powder
¾ tsp salt
2 T sugar
2 c grated cheddar cheese (the more aged the tastier)
½ c finely chopped onion
3 garlic cloves
12 oz can of beer (non-alcohol works too)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Using a fork and a bowl, combine all of the ingredients (except the beer), until well mixed. Add the beer a quarter at a time until all the ingredients are blended. Spoon into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with Pam and smooth down with fork. Bake for one hour. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Serve warm with soup or stew.

Notes:

1. Freezes really well.

- Spicy Bean Soup

SPICY BEAN SOUP


1 lb Hot Italian sausage
3 c cubed ham
3 medium potatoes, peeled & cubed
2 medium onion, diced
3 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
5 carrots, peeled & diced
1 green pepper, seeded & chopped
1 c chopped fresh parsley (or 2 T dried)
3 – 14 oz cans kidney beans
14 oz can tomato sauce
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 – 2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
2 bay leaves
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Boil sausage to remove excess fat and cut into bite-sized pieces. Brown sausage and ham in a large, heavy pot. Add all of the other ingredients and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Cover and continue to cook for 2-3 hours.

Serve with Cheddar Beer Bread.

Notes:

1. Freezes really well.

- Rustic Plum Cake

RUSTIC PLUM CAKE

2 T seedless raspberry jam
3 T brandy
1 lb. (10 large) Italian prune plums, halved and pitted
¾ c all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting pan
¾ c white sugar
1/3 c slivered almonds
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp table salt
6 T unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, softened but still cool
1 large egg plus one large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract
Icing sugar for serving

Cook jam and brandy in a 10 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat until reduced to thick syrup, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and place plums cut-side down in syrup. Return skillet to medium heat and cook until plums shed their juices and thick syrup is again formed, about 5 minutes, shaking pan to prevent plums from sticking. Cool plums in pan, about 20 minutes.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour (I use Pam) 9 inch springform plan. Process sugar and almonds in food processor until nuts are finely ground, about 1 minute. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand, about ten 1-second pulses. Add eggs, vanilla and almond extract and process until smooth, about 5 seconds, scraping bowl once if needed (batter will be very thick and heavy).

Transfer batter to prepared pan; using spatula, spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Stir plums to coat with syrup. Arrange plum halves, skin-side up, evenly over surface of batter. Bake until cake is golden brown and wooden skewer inserted into center comes out with few crumbs attached, 40 to 50 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen. Cool in pan on wire rack until just warm or to room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan and dust with icing sugar. Cut into wedges and serve (preferably with vanilla ice cream).

Notes:

This is such a simple but delicious dessert and the almond extract gives it a real flavour boost.

- Hearty Italian Meat Sauce (Sunday Gravy)

HEARTY ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE
(SUNDAY GRAVY)


Sauce:

2 T olive oil
1 rack (about 2 ¼ lbs) baby back ribs, cut into 2 rib sections
Table salt and fresh ground pepper
1 lb hot Italian sausage links
2 medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 c)
1 ¼ tsp dried oregano
3 T tomato paste
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
2/3 c beef broth
¼ c chopped fresh basil leaves

Meatballs:

2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, crusts removed and bread cut into 1/3 inch cubes
½ c buttermilk
¼ c chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 large egg yolk
½ tsp table salt
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb meatloaf mix (1/3 lb each of ground beef, veal and pork)
2 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped fine
½ c grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
½ c olive oil

(See note)1 ½ lbs pasta
2 T table salt
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

For the sauce: Adjust oven rack to lover-middle position and heat oven to 325º. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Pat ribs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Add half of the ribs to pot and brown on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer ribs to large plate and brown remaining ribs. After transferring second batch of ribs to plate, brown sausages on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer sausage to plate with ribs.

Reduce heat to medium, add onions and oregano; cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until very dark, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes and broth, scraping up any browned bits. Return ribs and sausage to pot; bring to simmer, cover and transfer to oven. Cook until ribs are tender, about 2½ hrs.


For the meatballs:

Meanwhile, combine bread crumbs, buttermilk, parsley, garlic, egg yolk, salt, and red pepper flakes in medium bowl and mash with fork until no bread chunks remain. Add meatloaf mix, prosciutto, and cheese to bread mixture; mix with hands until thoroughly combined. Roll into balls, transfer to plate, cover with plastic, and refrigerate until ready to use.

(See note) When sauce is 30 minutes from being done, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add meatballs and cook until well browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer meatballs to paper towel-lined plate to drain briefly. Remove sauce from oven and skim fat from top with large spoon. Transfer browned meatballs to sauce and gently submerge. Cover, return pot to oven, and continue cooking until meatballs are just cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 6 quarts of water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and salt and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ c cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.


Notes:

1. This is easy and delicious – my sister thinks it rivals turkey supper!
2. I doubled the recipe and I would estimate that doubled it feeds 11 even though the original recipe says that 1 batch feeds 8 to 10 (apparently I only know big eaters).
3. I prefer to use another more sturdy pasta, like penne and I disregard the amount of pasta indicated (probably why I always have so much pasta left over).
4. As with other meatball recipes, I always bake my meatballs. I bake them on a rack on top of a sheet pan (or if I am really lazy, on parchment on a sheet pan) at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes. For this recipe I make them before I start the sauce and put the cooked meatballs in the fridge until I need them).

- Apple Upside-Down Cake

After a holiday/renovation absence, I am back again with more recipes!!

APPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Topping:

¼ c unsalted butter cut into 4 pieces, plus extra for pan
4 Granny Smith apples (about 2 pounds), peeled and cored
2/3 c packed light brown sugar
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Cake:

1 c all-purpose flour
1 T cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp table salt
¾ c white sugar
¼ c packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
6 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
½ c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Butter bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan, set aside. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and preheat oven to 350º.

Halve apples from pole to pole. Cut 2 apples into ¼ inch slices; set aside. Cut remaining 2 apples into ½ inch slices. Heat butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add ½ inch thick apple slices and cook, stirring 2 or 3 times, until apples begin to caramelize, 4 to 6 minutes (do not fully cook apples). Add ¼ inch apple slices, brown sugar and lemon juice; continue cooking, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and apples are coated, about 1 minute longer. Transfer apple mixture to prepared pan and lightly press into even layer. Set aside while preparing cake.

Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt together in medium bowl; set aside. Wisk granulated sugar, brown sugar and eggs together in large bowl until thick and homogeneous, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter until combined. Add sour cream and vanilla; whisk until combined. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and spread evenly over the apples. Bake until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

Cool pan on wire rack for 20 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen. Place wire rack over cake pan. Holding rack tightly, invert cake pan and wire rack together, lift off cake pan. Place wire rack over baking sheet or large plate to catch any drips. If any fruit sticks to pan bottom, remove and position it on top of cake. Let cake cool 20 minutes then transfer to a serving platter and serve.

Notes:

1. I baked this on a parchment lined cookie sheet to prevent a mess in my oven.
2. You can also try combining 1/3 c finely ground toasted almonds with flour and combine 1 tsp almond extract with the sour cream and vanilla for even more taste (I have not tried this yet).

- French Pizza

FRENCH PIZZA


1 pkg frozen puff pastry
1 egg yolk blended with 1 tsp water
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce, canned or your own
20 thin slices pepperoni
5 slices ham, 4 inches square, 1/4 in. thick
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
pinch Italian Seasoning
6 oz. Mozzarella cheese, grated (2/3 to 1 cup is what I use)

Thaw puff pastry and roll into a 9 x 16 inch rectangle. Cut into two pieces - one four inches and one five inches in width. Brush edges with egg yolk mixture.

Place larger rectangle on a greased cookie sheet and spread spaghetti sauce over to within one inch of the edges. Arrange pepperoni, ham, onions and seasoning on top then sprinkle over the cheese.

Place the other piece of dough on top and seal with the bottom crust. Press edges together with a force. Brush top with egg yolk mixture and make four slits in the top.

Bake at 425° for about 25 minutes, cut into squares and serve hot.

Freeze this after cooking and then re-heat it at about 350° til it looks bubbly.

Thanks Vicki!

- Warm Bread Dip

WARM BREAD DIP


1 loaf round sourdough bread (see note)
2 – 8oz. packages of cream cheese
1 c grated cheddar cheese
1 c real mayonnaise
1 tsp dill
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp horseradish
dash of Worcestershire sauce
3 drops Tabasco sauce
3 T green onion
10 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled)

Hollow out bread. Mix ingredients and place in centre of bread. Put top crust back on and cover loaf with tin foil.

Bake at 350º for 90 minutes.

Notes:

(1) You can substitute the real cooked preserved bacon .
(2) You may want to buy an extra loaf of bread to cut up as there is a lot of dip.

Thanks Di.

- Chocoholic's Quick-Fix Cheesecake

CHOCOHOLIC'S QUICK-FIX CHEESECAKE


1 1/2 c chocolate wafers, crushed
1/3 c butter, melted
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, separated
6 oz chocolate chips, melted
1 c heavy cream

Preheat oven to 325°.

Mix wafers and butter together. Press into bottom of spring form pan. Bake for 10 mins. Mix softened cream cheese, 1/4 c sugar and vanilla. Add 2 beaten egg yolks and melted chocolate bits. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar. Add to chocolate mixture. Whip heavy cream and fold into mixture. Pour over crumb crust and freeze.

Take out of freezer about 20 mins before serving.

Thanks Sue.

- Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER ICE CREAM PIE


Crust:

1½ c. graham wafer crumbs
3 T. sugar
2 T. chopped salted peanuts
¼ c. butter (melted)

Filling:

2 c. chocolate ice cream, softened
4 c. vanilla ice cream
1/3 c. peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350º.

In a small bowl stir together all crust ingredients. Press into bottom an sides of 9 inch pie plate (I use spring form pan and line the bottom only). Bake for 6-8 minutes until lightly brown. Allow to cool.

Spread softened (only slightly) chocolate ice cream over the cooled crust. Freeze until firm (about 30 mins. - or if you are in a hurry - 5 minutes).

In a large mixing bowl (I use electric mixer) combine vanilla ice cream and peanut butter until well mixed. Freeze until set (30 - 40 mins.)

Notes:

1) I use more vanilla ice cream and more peanut butter (to taste) so that the spring form pan is filled to the top.

- Buttercream Icing

BUTTERCREAM ICING

1 c shortening (I use Crisco)
1 tsp extract (I use clear vanilla extract for pure white icings – see note)
2 T milk or water
4 c icing sugar
1 T meringue powder (see note)
Pinch of salt

Yield: 3 cups

Mix all ingredients together, adding more milk (sometimes it is double what the recipe recommends) or water to get to a spreadable consistency.

Note:

1) I took Wilton cake decorating lessons so I always use their clear vanilla and meringue power. I get them from Michaels craft stores but they are often available at shops that sell cake decorating products.
2) Once you have the recipe at the right consistency, if you are not going to use it in the next couple of days put it in the fridge and then take it out the night before you need it. A quick beat will bring it back to the original consistency.

- White Wedding Cake

WHITE WEDDING CAKE


3 c cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1½ c unsalted butter (at room temperature)
2¼ c white sugar
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 c milk
8 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 350º.

Spray two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and 2 c of sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until just combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; set aside.

In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. With mixer running, gradually add remaining ¼ c sugar; beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes. Do not overbeat. Gently fold a third of the egg-white mixture into the butter-flour mixture until combined. Gently fold in the remaining whites.

Divide the batter between prepared pans and smoothing with offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto the rack; peel off parchment. Re-invert cakes and let them fool completely, top sides up.

Notes:

1) This recipe also makes 24 cupcakes.
2) I have two bowls for my KitchenAid and this comes in really handy with any recipe that calls for beaten egg whites. If you don’t have two think about asking for a spare as a gift – you will really appreciate it.
3) I tripled the recipe yesterday for an upcoming wedding and that yielded 2 six inch, 2 eight inch and 2 ten inch cakes. Each took longer to bake than the recipe suggested so use your tester!

- French Onion Soup

FRENCH ONION SOUP
(see note)

Soup

3 T unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
6 large yellow onions (about 4 pounds) halved and cut pole to pole into ¼ inch slices
Table salt
2 c water, plus extra for deglazing
½ c dry sherry
4 c chicken broth
2 c beef broth
6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
1 bay leaf
Ground black pepper

Cheese Croutons:

1 small baguette, cut on bias into ½ inch slices
8 oz Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 2 ½ c)

Soup:

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 400º. Generously spray inside of heavy-bottomed large (at least 7 qt) Dutch oven with non-stick cooking spray. Place butter in pot and add onions and 1 tsp salt. Cook, covered, 1 hour (onions will be moist and slightly reduced in volume). Remove pot from oven and stir onions, scraping bottom and sides of pot. Return pot to oven with lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 ½ to 1 ¾ hours longer, stirring onions and scraping bottom and sides of pot after 1 hour.

Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat. Using oven mitts to handle pot, cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until liquid evaporates and onions brown, 15 to 20 minutes, reducing eat to medium if onions are browning too quickly. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until pot bottom is coated with dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary. (Scrape any fond that collects on spoon back into onions). Stir in ¼ c water, scraping pot bottom to loosen crust, and cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes. Repeat process of deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until onions are very dark brown. Stir in sherry and cook, stirring frequently, until sherry evaporates, about 5 minutes.

Stir in broths, 2 c water, thyme, bay leaf, and ½ tsp salt, scraping up any final bits of browned crust on bottom and sides of pot. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Remove and discard herbs, then season with salt and pepper.

Croutons

While soup simmers, arrange baguette slices in single layer on baking sheet and bake in 400º oven until bread is dry, crisp and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

To Serve:

Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set individual broiler-safe crocks on baking sheet and fill each with about 1 ¾ c soup. Top each bowl with 1 or 2 baguette slices (do not overlap slices) and sprinkle evenly with Gruyère cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly around edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Notes:

1) I thought I had a pretty good recipe for this soup and then I found this recipe that looked so labor intensive that I was put off. Then one day I had a craving and I decided to give it a whirl. Never, and I do mean never, will I ever make any other recipe. This beats all!

- Blueberry Scones

BLUEBERRY SCONES

Makes 8

10 T butter, frozen whole
1½ c fresh blueberries
½ c milk
½ c sour cream
2 c flour, plus additional for work surface
½ c white sugar plus 1 T for sprinkling
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp table salt
1 tsp grated lemon zest

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425º. Grate butter on large holes of box grater until you have 8 T. Place grated butter in freezer until needed. Melt remaining 2 T of butter and set aside. Place blueberries in freezer until needed.

Whisk together milk and sour cream in medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. Whisk flour, ½ c sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest in medium bowl. Add frozen butter to flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated.

Add milk mixture to flour mixture; fold with spatula until just combined. With rubber spatula, transfer dough to liberally floured work surface. Dust surface of dough with flour; with floured hands, knead dough 6 to 8 times, until it just holds together in ragged ball, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.

Roll dough into approximate 12 inch square. Fold dough into thirds like a business letter, using bench scraper or metal spatula to release dough if it sticks to countertop. Lift short ends of dough and fold into thirds again to form approximate 4 inch square. Transfer dough to plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in freezer 5 minutes.

Transfer dough to floured work surface and roll into approximate 12 inch square again. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over surface of dough, then press down so they are slightly embedded in dough. Using bench scraper or thin metal spatula, loosen dough from work surface. Roll dough, pressing to form tight log. Lay seam side down and press log into 12 x 4 inch rectangle. Using sharp, floured knife, cut rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles and transfer to parchment lined baking sheet.

Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining 1 T sugar. Bake until tops and bottoms are golden, 18 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Notes:

1) Although this sounds complicated it is soooo easy and I can’t believe I never thought of making them this way before finding this recipe.

- Pina Colada Fruit Dip

PINA COLADA FRUIT DIP


500 mL sour cream
85 g package instant vanilla pudding
250 mL Pina Colada (liquid) drink mix

Mix sour cream and Pina Colada mix together until mixture is thick. Add the pudding and mix well. Chill for one hour before serving.

- Fabulous Veggie Dip

FABULOUS VEGGIE DIP

1 c sour cream
1 T dried onion flakes
2 c real mayonnaise
8 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 T dried parsley
1 tsp seasoning salt
1 tsp sugar
2 T finely grated Parmesan cheese
Garlic salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together with chill for 2-3 hours before serving.

- Cinnamon-Sugar Dipped Blueberry Muffins

CINNAMON-SUGAR DIPPED BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Muffins:
3 c all-purpose flour
1½ T baking powder
¾ tsp table salt
2 eggs
1½ c white sugar
6 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1¾ c sour cream
2¼ c frozen blueberries

Topping:
¾ c white sugar
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
6 T unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350°.

Adjust oven rack to middle position in the oven. Spray standard muffin tin with non-stick vegetable cooking spray.

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl until well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add sugar and whisk vigorously until thick and homogenous, about 30 seconds; add melted butter in 2 or 3 steps, whisking to combine after each addition. Add sour cream in 2 steps, whisking just to combine.

Add frozen berries to dry ingredients and gently toss to combine. Add sour cream mixture and fold with rubber spatula until batter comes together and berries are evenly distributed, 25 to 30 seconds (small spots of flour may remain and batter will be thick). Do not overmix.

Divide batter into greased (12 muffin) muffin tin. Bake until golden brown and toothpick or skewer inserted into centre of muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pan from front to back halfway through baking time. Invert muffins onto wire rack, stand muffins upright and cool 5 minutes.

While muffins are cooling, mix sugar and ground cinnamon in small bowl and melt butter in small saucepan. After baked muffins have cooled for five minutes, working one at a time, dip tops of muffins in melted butter and then cinnamon-sugar. Set muffins upright on wire rack to cool.

- Hummus

HUMMUS

1 (398 mL) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
5 garlic cloves
¼ c (50 mL) water
½ c (125 mL) tahini (sesame seed paste)
Juice of 2 lemons
2 T (30 mL) olive oil
Salt and pepper

In food processor, pulse chickpeas and garlic. Add water and pulse. Add tahini and lemon juice; puree until smooth. Mix in olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 2 c (500 mL).

- Fresh Tomato and Brie Pasta

FRESH TOMATO AND BRIE PASTA


Bow tie pasta for 4
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 c quartered, fresh roma tomatoes
2 T olive oil
½ c fresh basil, chopped
½ lb Brie cheese, (remove rind)
½ c pine nuts, toasted
freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
chopped parsley
Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Sauté garlic and tomatoes in oil. Add basil and pinched-off pieces of Brie. Stir until Brie is partially melted. Add pine nuts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add cooked pasta to pan and mix gently. Place in a pasta bowl and sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan.

Notes:

(i) This is quick, easy and yummy.

Thanks Carla!

- Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

CHICKEN SATAY WITH SPICY PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE

2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts
12 small wooden skewers, (soaked in water for at least 1 hour)

Garlic Soy Marinade:
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ c soy sauce
¼ c lemon juice
2 T oil

Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce:
½ c chunky peanut butter
½ c coconut milk
2 T sweet hot chile sauce
2 T soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp cumin

Skewers:
Cut chicken in ½ inch cubes and thread 4-5 pieces onto each skewer. Combine marinade ingredients; pour over skewered chicken and marinate for 1 hour. To serve, grill or broil until brown, turn as needed.

To prepare sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; simmer 10 minutes, stirring frequently. If sauce becomes too thick, add more coconut milk.

To serve:
Arrange skewered chicken on a platter around a bowl of peanut sauce for dipping.

Serves 4 – 6.

- Chicken Pot Pie

CHICKEN POT PIE



¼ c butter
¼ c flour
Salt & pepper to taste
2 T finely chopped onion
3 c chicken broth
2 carrots, chopped in small pieces
2 celery stalks, chopped in small pieces
2 potatoes, cubed in small pieces
½ c frozen peas
3 c cooked and diced chicken
Frozen puff pastry dough (1 square only)

Preheat oven to 400°.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Blend in flour, salt, pepper and onion. Gradually stir in chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened. Add carrots, celery and potatoes. Cook until fork tender. Add peas and chicken to vegetable mixture. Mix well and pour into large casserole. Cover with rolled pastry and slash to allow steam to escape. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until pastry is golden. If pastry becomes too brown, cover loosely with foil.

Notes:

(i) I sometimes make individual pies and this works really well also.

- Blueberry Bonanza

BLUEBERRY BONANZA



Crust
1 sleeve (about 27) of Digestive biscuits, finely crushed
1 tsp white sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ c butter, melted

Cheese Layer
8 oz. pkg cream cheese
½ c white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Blueberry Layer
3 c frozen blueberries
½ c white sugar
½ c water
1 T lemon juice
4 tsp cornstarch
½ c cold water

Topping
2 c whipping cream
2 T white sugar
3 Digestive biscuits, crushed

Preheat oven to 325º.

Crust:
Mix ingredients together and pat lightly into a 9 x 13 pan (I use a Pyrex baking dish) and bake at 325º for 10 minutes.

Cheese Layer:
Mix ingredients together and spread over crust. Bake at 325º for 20 minutes.

Blueberry Layer:
Combine blueberries, sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in the cold water and add to the blueberry mixture. Stir until thickened and pour over baked cheese layer. Cool completely.

Topping:
Whip cream with sugar and spread on top of blueberry layer. Sprinkle with Digestive biscuit crumbs and refrigerate until serving time.

Notes:

(i) You can easily make this the day before – it lasts for a couple of days at the very least.

- Borscht

BORSCHT


1 medium onion
2 quarts canned tomatoes
1 medium carrot, grated
2 small beets grated
6 medium potatoes
1 carrot, diced
1 c. (250 mL) diced celery
1 potato, diced
½ lb. (250 g) or more butter
2 c. (500 mL) whipping cream
1 green pepper, diced
1 small head cabbage
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp. (10 mL) dill (or more to taste)

In stock pot, melt half of the butter, add onion and fry until shiny. Add cabbage and fry until limp. Add tomatoes, grated carrots, beets and ½ green pepper - boil for 2 minutes. Add diced potatoes, carrot and celery and boil until diced veg­etables are tender.

In separate pot bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add 6 potatoes and boil until done. Drain off water into large pot with vegetable mixture.

Mash boiled potatoes adding salt & pepper, ½ green pepper, dill, whipping cream and half of the butter. Add to pot with vegetable mixture.

Add dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of dill when serving.

- Oriental Cabbage Noodle Salad

ORIENTAL CABBAGE NOODLE SALAD


2 T. soya sauce
½ c white sugar
¾ c peanut oil
¼ cup rice vinegar

Mix all in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute then remove from stove and allow to cool.


1 cup sliced almonds
2 T. sesame seeds
2 pkgs chicken flavoured Ramon noodles (break up before opening packages)
½ c. butter or margarine

Sauté all of the above (excluding flavour packets) in a frying pan for 5 minutes, add the flavour packets and then sauté for a further 5 minutes, remove from stove and allow to cool.


1 large Nappa (use Savoy if Nappa not available) cabbage - sliced thinly
3 green onions - (chopped)

Mix together



Mix all ingredients together just before serving.

- Easy Sole Meunière

EASY SOLE MEUNIÈRE


½ c all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 fresh sole fillets, 3 to 4 oz each
6 T unsalted butter
1 tsp grated lemon zest
6 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
1 T minced fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 200º. Have 2 heat-proof dinner plates ready.

Combine the flour, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper in a large shallow plate. Pat the sole fillets dry with paper towels and sprinkle one side with salt.

Heat 3 T of the butter in a large (12 inch) sauté pan over medium heat until it starts to brown. Dredge 2 sole fillets in the seasoned flour on both sides and place them in the hot butter. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes. Turn carefully with a metal spatula and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. While the second side cooks, add ½ tsp of the lemon zest and 3 T of the lemon juice to the pan. Carefully put the fish fillets on the ovenproof plates and pour the sauce over them. Keep the cooked fillets warm in the oven while you repeat the process with the remaining 2 fillets. When they’re done, add the cooked fillets to the plates in the oven. Sprinkle with the parsley, salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Serves 2

- Bruschetta

BRUSCHETTA

2 large garlic cloves, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
1/3 c olive oil
6-8 firm, ripe red Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped
handful of chopped fresh basil
24” baguette
Grated cheese (provolone, fontina or mozzarella)

In a shallow bowl, combine garlic, salt, pepper and a few drops of oil. Mash with the back of a wooden spoon to make a paste. Stir in olive oil. Add tomatoes and basil. Toss gently and set aside. Cut bread into ¼ inch slices and lay them on a sheet pan. Brush each with additional oil and place under a preheated broiler until golden brown. Remove from oven and spoon tomato mixture onto each piece of bread and drizzle with remaining oil and grated cheese. Broil and serve.


Notes:

1) I use parchment paper on the sheet pan because the cheese can make a mess.

- Pan-Roasted Root Vegetables

PAN-ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES

¼ c butter
1 white turnip, unpeeled (or portion of small yellow turnip peeled), 1-inch diced
2 carrots, 1-inch diced
2 small parsnips, peeled and 1-inch diced
½ celery root, peeled and 1-inch diced
8 Brussel sprouts, halved if large
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 celery ribs, 1-inch diced

Melt the butter in a large sauté pan with a tight fitting lid. When the butter is melted, add the turnip, carrots, parsnips, celery root, Brussel sprouts, thyme, salt and pepper and toss with the butter. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the celery and stir the vegetables. Cover the pan again and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender. Taste for seasons and serve hot.

(i) I hadn’t had parsnips since I was a kid (and detested them) and had never had celery root. This was so flavorful and you don’t have to serve potatoes or any other starch with it.

- French Apple Tart

FRENCH APPLE TART

Pastry:
2 c all purpose flour
½ tsp kosher salt
1 T white sugar
¾ c cold unsalted butter, diced
½ c ice water
*See note for alternate pastry

Apples:
5 Granny Smith apples
½ c white sugar
¼ c cold unsalted butter, small diced
½ c apricot jelly (or warm sieved apricot jam)
2 T Calvados (apple liqueur) I used orange liqueur

For the pastry, place the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 x 14 inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baler. Slice the apples crosswise in ¼ inch thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. Sprinkle with the ½ c white sugar and dot with the butter.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out.

While the tart is cooking heat the apricot jelly together with the liqueur and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn’t stick to the paper. Allot to cool and ser warm or at room temperature.

Notes:
(i) If you don't want to make the pastry you can substitute one portion of Tenderflake puff pastry.

(ii)I could not find apricot jelly so I used jam and just strained it while it was warm.
(iii) The juice from the apples and the sugar do make a mess out of the pan so next time I will cover it with tin foil and then put the parchment on it.
(iv) This was absolutely delicious and took no time at all to make.