Irene's Kitchen

Let's mix it together...

2011-01-10T17:41:00.000-08:00

I've decided to combine my blogs, originally I was posting recipes here for myself, but have since decided to combine those posts on my general blog at Irene's Desk.
And you know you can't teach an old dog new tricks, so I just keep looking for my recipes in the same old spots. Come on by, Irene's desk

Thank Goodness 2010 is over with...

2011-01-09T06:49:00.000-08:00

As we progress through the year 2011, I want to thank all of you for your
educational e-mails over the past year. I am totally screwed up now and have
little chance of recovery..

I no longer open a bathroom door without using a paper towel, nor have the
waitress put lemon slices in my ice water without worrying about the
bacteria on the lemon peel.

I can't sit down on the hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has
happened on it since it was last washed.

I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the
number one pastime while driving alone is picking one's nose.

I can't touch any woman's purse for fear she has placed it on the floor of a
public restroom.

I MUST SEND MY SPECIAL THANKS to whoever sent me the one about rat poop in
the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every
envelope that needs sealing.

ALSO, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.

I no longer have any money, but that will change once I receive the $15,000
that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their
special e-mail program.

I can't have a drink in a bar because I'll wake up in a bathtub full of ice
with my kidneys gone.

I can't eat at KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant
freaks with no eyes, feet or feathers.

I can't use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water
buffalo on a hot day.

THANKS TO YOU I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward
an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.

I no longer use Cling Wrap in the microwave because it causes seven
different types of cancer.

AND THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave
anymore because it will blow up in my face. Disfiguring me for life.

And I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a
number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica , Uganda ,
Singapore , and Uzbekistan ...

I can't do any gardening because I'm afraid I'll get bitten by the Violin
Spider and my hand will fall off.

If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70
minutes, a large dove with diarrhoea will land on your head at 5:00 p.m.
tomorrow afternoon, and the fleas from 120 camels will infest your back,
causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually
happened to a friend of my next door neighbour's ex-mother-in-law's second
husband's cousin's best friend's beautician . .. ..

Oh, by the way.....

A German scientist from Argentina , after a lengthy study, has discovered
that people with insufficient brain activity read their e-mail with their
hand on the mouse.

Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.

P. S.: I now keep my toothbrush in the living room, because I was told by
e-mail that water splashes over 6 ft. out of the toilet.

And now I'm going up to vacuum the beds just in case ...

Pasta Prima Vera...

2011-01-06T15:23:00.000-08:00

Well if you are like me, you are still working your way through leftovers of Christmas groceries. I had decided to make a meatless Christmas Eve dinner, like my mom use to make. My family like Salmon, as do I. With some of my guests working till unknown hours of the day I planned very few appetizers, one of these were smoked salmon with a little dollop of herbed cream cheese, on a cracker. Well I purchased my smoked salmon and then when I opened the foil package discovered I couldn't roll it up. So change of plan. I had already whipped up the cream cheese and prepared the sliced the cucumbers so I ended up just crumbling it up and mixing it up with the cream cheese and then served it with the cucumber slices and crackers. It went over well. But, I had a a lot of salmon left over. Since my son worked tonight(he doesn't like pasta) I thought I'm doing pasta for my husband and myself. It came out o.k.

The sauce...

4 tbsp. butter,

1 c. milk or cream (depending on what you have in the fridge)

1 c. parmesan cheese.

Place the butter in a saucepan and melt, let it bubble a little add the cheese this will be quite thick, and then add the milk/cream. Stir it up to make a smooth sauce. Set aside.

I did this in another pan. I used a very small amount of ollive oil and sauteed some mushrooms and a green onion chopped. When they were done I added them to the cream sauce.

Meanwhile boil your water for the pasta of your choice and cook as you would for anyother dish. When this was done I tossed the sauce and drained pasta and then all that leftover salmon crumbled on top and tossed. It was salty, but very good. Served with some vegetables on the side and yummy.
I think I could have added some peppers and snowpeas, it would have been a little more primavera.

Sauerkraut soup...

2010-11-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

As I'm doing my back and hip rejuvenation this morning, the alarm clock goes off with further discussion of the G20 Summit presently going on in Seoul. Much is still being said about the summit of Toronto of this year. I'm not defending anybody here you understand, and if I'm saying something you don't like please feel free to click out the same way you clicked in. What does this have to do with recipes and Sauerkraut soup. Well, my husband is a retired police officer, he would have been one of those officers "policing "Toronto during the summit, weather or not he was actually at the summit? police work carried on throughout the city during that time. In the summer, during the nightmare of Caribana, and he policed it, many a time, I'd be expected to have a meal that would compliment the fact that he hadn't eaten or drank much during his 12hour shift, many time more than 12 hours. As one of his partners said, "it never fails, you're five minutes from the end of your shift and "something " happens, and as an officer you stay with that case till it's processed. So I imagine that throughout the summit not too many husbands/wives made it home for dinner, or even to sleep. So today, being a little chilly, he's no longer a policeofficer, he's retired, but he is a private investigator. As such he's doing jobs that private companies hire him to do, because there are just not enough police officers to do private duty.Or at least this is what I'm lead to believe.

He was off in the wee hours, and he'll be standing for 12-15hours in this cool temperatures, on concrete, no amenities, no lunch, no coffee breaks. So with his fowl mood tonight and his cold feet, I thought I'd save myself so grumbling conversations and serve his favourite, cold melting, sour puss sweetening Sauekraut soup. (P.S.it keeps well for days, and then I don't really have to cook anything else he likes for days,)

I started my soup today on stock that I had made with my turkey carcass. I sautéed a whole, large onion chopped with a couple of strips of finely chopped bacon, added this to the stock.I threw in a couple of potatoes peeled and cubed, two carrots chopped, a couple of ribs of celery whole, (I take them out after the soup is done) a couple of chilli peppers, (from my garden)and a jar of drained sourkraut. (Taste this, as sometimes it's very sour and you need to rinse with cold water, another reason I drain it, the liquid could be used, but if it's really sour, you'll be puckering up for days) I put in a tbsp. of Vegeta/or bouillon cube and cook on a low temp heat for a couple of hours, (have your fan going, it stinks). After a couple of hours I threw in a couple of smoked sausages, (these were already cooked, but if they were raw, I'd have cooked them first, the saurekraut doesn't allow the meat to not be red , and I don't like that) And now all I have to do is give him a gigantic bowl and some rye bread and viola dinner is served, and it's not even 10a.m.

So when you're watching the news and you see the cops doing their stuff, think of their poor wives who have to live with the bitching that they come home with, and the meals they have to make, just to shut them up.

I always remember an advertisement that the city of New York had. It pictured a Police Officer entering a very dark alley, it read "You wouldn't go into that alley for a million dollars, yet we expect our police officers to do it for a lot less." My suggestion to you is next time you see a nice police officer, and there aren't many, say thanks, or like I do ask him to come home for soup. What am I saying, my guy is not nice...

Apple Cake

2010-10-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving wrap up...

Here in Canada we celebrated our Thanksgiving this weekend. As my boys are still students their part-time jobs mean they work weekends. My eldest till quite late in the wee hours of the morning, so our festivities usually happen on Monday. I've not usually had guests for this occasion, simply because my house seems to be shrinking. I always look forward to a long weekend with my guys. It's a busy time of year for me and for them and I don't get to snuggle them as much as I NEED to. At first I thought it might be just two of us for dinner, so I bought a little, little turkey and planned on a great many desserts. But, my eldest was able to find time to get home and was bringing a guest, ( a pretty one). The turkey could have been bigger. Good thing the big guy likes vegetables. When I got married I decided I wasn't cooking things that I didn't like, why would you? And so as my guys grew I didn't make them eat things they didn't like. Big mistake. Now I have to cook an array of different foods to suit everyone's taste buds, but then again what kind of a celebration would it be if only some of the dinners enjoyed the meal, everyone has a right to do that. So Sasha, meat and potatoes and dessert, Daniel meat, no potatoes, just vast amounts of other vegetables, dessert is optional. Good thing they don't like different beverages.Milk with meals still applies here. My husband eats everything in large quantities, didn't spoil him. So I won't bore you with the usual feast recipes but I will share with you my mothers apple cake. I haven't made this in awhile (probably last Thanksgiving) it's just such a large recipe and I have never really been successful at 1/2ing it. My complaint with this cake was that it didn't have enough, not enough apples, not enough dough (I am the carb queen you know) and not enough sugar. It always tastes better the next day, not sure why.

So here is my edited version:

Babcia Stefi's Apple Cake

Dough

3cups all purpose flour (I use Robin Hood)

2tsp. baking powder

1 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

1/2 lb. butter

3 egg yolks, 1 whole egg (save the whites to use to brush the crust, I always forget to do this)

1tsp. vanilla

Cream butter, sugar add eggs, sour cream and vanilla, add flour which has been sifted together with baking powder. Divide dough in half of the two halves, reserve 1/3 of each piece to make the cross hatching on the top.

Press the remaining larger pieces one each into two 9X12 pans. Then...

In a large bowl combine the following

4lbs. apples peeled and sliced (more to meet the "enough" meter.

tossed with about 3/4c. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon

If your apples seem dry (depending on what you choose to use, I just use the Royal Gala, but the pie type apples are better, anyway if they are dry I would toss a 1/4 lemonjuice into the apples and perhaps a little more sugar, taste if you like.)

Spread 1/2 of the apple combination over each of the pans and then with the remainder of the dough roll out long lattice pieces and criss-cross over each pan. Brush with egg white which has been somewhat beaten with a fork, and sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon. Bake a 350degrees for about 45 min. I like to use coarse sugar for the topping it just glistens more, no real difference in taste.Great served with vanilla ice cream. Smells heavenly in your kitchen. Don't know how this stores, never any left to do so.

Ball Chicken Pineapple, or as we call them Chinese Chicken Balls

2010-09-08T06:57:00.000-07:00

Many years ago my sister Donna took a chinese cooking class, like the food you get from take-out. Now trust me once you've made these you'll never order out again. I serve it with Basic Fried Rice. and cucumber slices with Japenese Vinegar and Viola it's a great little supper. I only have a photo of the chicken while I was cooking, they gobbled it up so fast I didn't get a shot of the whole shbang.

Chinese Chicken Balls
2 breasts of chicken, (cut into 1 inch cubes)

Batter for Chicken
1/2 cup water    1cup flour
1 egg 1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vinegar 1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oil    1 tsp. cornstarch

Mix the water, egg, vinegar and oil, then add to the flour, cornstarch and salt, and baking powder. I like to use a deep bowl, so I can wisk this all together and then dip right into it.

Heat oil in deep fryer. You only need enough to cover the pieces. Dip each cube into the batter and then directly into hot oil. Cook until golden. In class we used a wok, but since I only have one and am usually making the rest of the meal in it I just use an ordanariy pan to deep fry in. I also like to use a good quality shortening (Crisco here in Canada) but in class we used canola/vegetable oil. I did this experiment once measured the melted Crisco shortening before frying and after and it was remarkable how little actually got absorbed in my chicken balls. I also heat my oil to very hot, and then when it's actually cooking turn it down slightly so my chicken has a chance to cook. I've never found a raw piece, it just seems by the time it's browned the chicken is also cooked.

Serve with Pineapple Sauce

2tbsp. Ketchup    1/2c. pineapple tidbits
2tbsp. vinegar 2 c. water
1/2 c. brown sugar 1 c. pineapple juice
1 tbsp. tomato paste 3 tsp. cornstarch mixed with a little water.

I use canned pineapple. Drain pineapple and reserve liquid (this is your pineapple juice, if it does not measure 1 c. add water to meet the requirement). Mix ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, water, pineapple juice, tomato paste in saucepan, bring to a boil. Meanwhile mixt cornstarch and water ( add water slowly to cornstarch probably a tbsp. at a time just so you can make it a smooth liquid). Pour into boiling liquid and stir continuously until thickened, add tidbits at the end.

I serve this on the side of the chicken balls, I just found when I poured it over, they got soggy, and not all my guests liked them smothered in sauce. If I have leftovers (big IF ) my husband eats it on anything.

Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce

2010-08-20T05:09:00.000-07:00

And a mini me!

Cake cooling with the topping only.

Well here it is, my favorite Birthday Cake. It's large invite lots of people to help you eat it. I've never frozen remains, there never is any.

Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce

Crust
1 1/2c. graham cracker crumbs
½ c. butter melted
5 tbsp.sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
Melt butter, combine dry ingredients, and press into a 10 in. spring form pan. Bake about 15 min. Use a rimmed cookie sheet to prevent butter drips.
Filling
1c. sugar
1tsp. vanilla extract
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon or orange
2lbs. cream cheese
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream cheese until it is soft, add eggs, sugar vanilla and lemon juice and rind. Mix until smooth. Pour onto baked crumb crust. Bake 25-30 min.
Topping
1 500ml. sour cream
1 tbsp. honey
Combine these two ingredients and pour over cheese cake, return to oven and bake 5 min. at 425 degrees.

Prepare blueberries in a small saucepan, and water and cornstarch if needed. I like to use a little lemon juice and some sugar if they are not sweet enough. Top just before serving on cooled cake.

Mellow Yellow Monday #66

2010-04-26T05:55:00.000-07:00

It's Mellow Yellow Monday, usually I post something pretty, in a house full of men pretty is hard to find, but today well you'll see...

I can honestly say, I'm shocked. This is the breakfast, lunch, or supper of my eldest son. The pain in the neck eater. For 23years I had to come up with some awesome meals to please that pain, and here he is eating poutine, and coke for breakfast. I worried about nutrition, and vitamins and the absorption of all the nutrients in the foods I gave him, and acne and allergies , you name it I worried. The minute I'm not cooking for him, look what he replaces me with... KIDS!!!!!!

Sunday Roast of Beef, yummy

2010-04-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

I had to try something with my Sunday roast. I like to put my roast in my cast iron roaster, for 500degrees F. for 45 min. then I turn it off and go to mass. By the time I return supper is ready except for the vegetables. This week I'm making a recipe that was delicious. I had a 3lb. roast not too fatty, rubbed some curry paste, about 1/3c. on it and put 'er in, since there was not too much fat I added 1c. water to the pan just before I put it in. When I returned home I removed my roast, rolling it ever so gently in the pan drippings getting some of the curry paste in. I then sliced my roast as thinly as possible, placed it a casserole and covered it to keep it warm. In a separate pan I made a rue, (2 tbsp. butter melted with a quick stirring and frying of about 2 tbsp. flour, I added the pan juices from the roaster, (some of which had the curry paste) stirring to keep it from getting lumps, and then I added 1 cup of coconut milk. By the time I did all this my potatoes were done and my steamed asparagus. Serve the warm roast with the sauce and your desired side dish. I prefer rice or couscous with my curry, but as my family don't like curry, I didn't rock the boat. I have no picture, they gobbled it, yes gobbled it all up. (what they don't know won't hurt them). Enjoy. I think it might be good with a cilantro garnish, but that might give away the curry secret. As it was the asparagus was a hard sell.

P.s. the curry paste I like to use is Hot, however, by the time you add all the other ingredients, it give the sauce just a nice flavour, you would not be overwhelmed with the curry flavour, that's why my boys didn't even know they were eating curry. I could have easily punched it up a few notches, but I was a good mommy and considered my boys.

For Today

2010-03-30T06:35:00.000-07:00

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...it's sunny, but cold. (my window is dirty, think I'll go wash it)
I am thinking...when am I ever going to be finished cleaning.
I am thankful for...to have slept in a little today.
From the learning rooms...(if this applies)
From the kitchen...veal cutlets with mixed vegetables
I am wearing...my pjs.
I am creating...a mess at the moment, just sorting through some candles.
I am going...to return my library books
I am reading...my Canadian Scrapbooker
I am hoping...it gets warm enough for me to straighten my garden hose.
I am hearing...my cat complaining about the window being closed.
Around the house...I need to desperately hang some art on the walls.
One of my favorite things...that first cup of coffee
A few plans for the rest of the week:paint, visit my mom, bake a cheese cake.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...(add your picture here)

This meme is hosted by The Simple Woman's Day Book.

Foodie Friday

2010-03-27T12:10:00.001-07:00

Missed Foodie Friday this week as well, so here it goes on Scrubbing floors Saturday. On many an occasion my sisters and brother and our kids and our spouses gather for special occasions or not so special. Sometimes the kids my three nieces who are close in age would visit with each other. My sister's daughter Jen is the eldest of the three girls and she would often set up a school room and be the teacher, "vocabulary improvement" would often be the topic. On one such occasion the word of the day was "constipated". Well for one of the younger of her students this was quite a mouth full and she just couldn't get it. So on her way out "the teacher" shortened it for her and said "remember today's word is "STUCK". Here's a recipe that ensures this never happens to you.

Six Week Bran Muffins

2c. all bran cereal
1 c. Crisco oil
5 tsp. Baking soda
3 c. sugar
1 quart Buttermilk
5c. flour
2tsp. salt
4eggs
1 c. raisins
Add all dry ingredients in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, and oil. Mix well (don’t beat)
Store in covered container in fridge until ready to bake (as long as six weeks). Bake @ 400 degrees F. for 20 min. in well greased muffin tin.

Makes 4 doz.

I'm Popeye the Sailor Man... I eats my spinach

2010-03-23T06:26:00.000-07:00

My youngest son (we'll call him S. Vincent) loves to eat his lunch out at school by Thurs, he's had enough. I swear pizza is flowing through his veins. Anyway he always talks about Popeye' I'm thinking when did we ever see Popeye eat shrimp or chicken it was spinach. So here's my inspiration for POPEYE's healthy menu. Fat chance. I've never eaten at |Popeye's and I probably will never, since I have such issues with eating fast food chicken, but bom appetit.

Red Pepper Chicken with Spinach and Pine Nuts

This my adaptation of a recipe from Guiliano Bugiallis crunchy and colourful “Calamari in Zimino, squid with spinach, (I don’t do squid, but I love spinach) the recipe also calls for the use of olive oil, well if you watch Dr. Oz you know that when you heat olive oil it becomes a trans fat, not to mention that I don’t care for the smell of hot olive oil. I use my olive oil to dip the bread, I’m not suppose to be eating and to toss the salad.

4 boneless/skinless chicken breast, cut into strips

Mix together the following and marinade the chicken

½ c. white wine

2 tbs. paprika

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

¼ -1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 ½ lbs. spinach cooked and squeezed out.

In a wide skillet or wok, heat oil, add chicken and marinade and stir fry 3 minutes. Remove and keep warm.

3tbsp. oil

2 small onions, chopped

2 carrots*, chopped

1 red pepper chopped

½ c. pine nuts

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice*

Sauté onions, carrots and red pepper for 2 min. add chicken and spinach, and pine nuts, stir fry for 3-4 min. to blend.

*I didn’t care for the carrots in this so I replaced them with ½ lb. chopped mushrooms, these need to sauté a little longer, so delay adding the red pepper, pine nuts and spinach until they are cooked to desired doness. When this has all been combined squeeze out the lemon on top (did you know you get more vitamin bang for your buck when you add a citrus to the spinach, more iron absorption, I think)

Serve with buttered noodles and parmesan cheese. Or creamy risotto. Yummy.

See no fried chicken or shrimp in a basket.

Cherry Cream Crown

2010-03-15T15:19:00.000-07:00

2 pkgs. Lady Fingers,
1/4c.(or more) brandy or cherry brandy, or any liqueur you like
(I like to use amaretto)
8oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
1 pint whipping cream (2c.) before it's whipped.
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tin cherry pie filling

Brush Lady Fingers with brandy. Line the sides of a 9" spring form pan with the lady fingers facing out towards the pan.(If you think you'd like a crust on the bottom, and you have enough cookies place the brushed cookies to make a bottom layer, it will not fill it entirely because the pan is round, but it looks very nice when you cut your slices and you have these lovely little surprises throughout, but this is optional.)

Beat whipping cream with vanilla until firm, set aside. In another bowl beat cream cheese, sugar until smooth, fold in whip cream mixture. Spread 1/2 the mixture inside the lady fingers, top with lady fingers and spread remaining mixture over. Refrigerate, for 24hrs if possible, but at least 4hrs. Spread cherry pie filling just before serving. Refrigerate any leftover, which there will not be any. Enjoy.

*P.S. If you decided to put cookies on the bottom, try to arrange the middle layer of cookies in a different direction it give the slice of cake a marble effect, very pleasing. DO NOT REMOVE RIM FROM PAN UNTIL YOUR CHERRY PIE FILLING IS ON TOP AND IT TOO HAS BEEN REFRIGERATED FOR AT LEAST ONE HOUR.
My sister-in-law always says her cookies fall away from the cake, I have never had that happen to me, but if for some reason you feel this might, (could happen if you take the cake out of the fridge too soon.) tie a ribbon around the cake an then cut. My kids always love that part, they want me to tie a licorice string around so they can eat it. But they are weird.

P.P.S. I don't have a photo of this cake it is never around long enough for me to focus.

Mellow Yellow Monday, Lemon Spaghetti, Yummy

2010-03-01T06:35:00.000-08:00

It's Mellow Yellow Monday in the kitchen as well, you can tell I'm thinking of my weight, (Mushrooms in my Irene's Desk post, and spahetti in my kitchen) truth be told we eat little pasta these days, my pasta kid moved away to school and hasn't come home very often, I make pasta only when I'm lonely for him, (which is always) but I'm getting better at controlling the pasta diet. Anyway this is a favorite of his and mine around this time of year, when I think we might be getting scurvy because of the long winter. (another thing my pasta kid worried about)

This recipe is from the foodnetwork, by Giada De Lorentas (isn't she beautiful)

Ingredients

* 1 pound spaghetti
* 2/3 cup olive oil
* 2/3 cup grated Parmesan
* 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon lemon zest
* 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

Memories of dumplings./ Lany kluski

2010-02-15T13:22:00.000-08:00

Last night, it was Valentine's Day, my son was working till 8:30p.m. and I just can't do dinner that late, so I thought my husband and I would have a hearty bowl of soup to tide us over till then. If the soup isn't filled with stuff, my husband considers it water. So while the chicken soup was delicious, I decided to make these dumplings to put in along with the veggies. The first time I met my husbands grandfather he was making these, he managed to get them lovely and thin and evenly distributed amongst us. I'm not that good. After reading the Pioneer's Woman Reflections, I thought I must post this little recipe just because. My mother made these as well, but she always put them into warm milk, which just didn't rock my world, so I don't. I consider this an alternative to noodles.

2large eggs, whisk, measure 1/2c. of flour and add gradually,(the more flour you use the harder these will be, so if you achieve thickness, because your eggs are smaller, stop adding flour, keep whisking until your batter is really smooth, it should be sort of thick, and cling to your fork, or spoon.
Boil a pot of water, and salt if you desire. Drop batter by tsp. full, slowly, so the batter hits the boiling water and forms some kind of shape, the less condensed the batter is when it hits the water the softer and tastier the noodle is. When all your noodle/dumplings rise to the top and your water returns to boil, they are done. Drain, I rinse, but I'm not sure you have to. Divide noodle/dumplings up into bowls, pour hot soup over and enjoy. May be served with stew as well.

Cooking your fish in the dishwasher! Yuk

2010-02-05T10:09:00.001-08:00

I don't remember who it was that I was discussing this with, but the person with whom this conversation took place was suggesting that she didn't know how to prepare fish, and she thought she might try doing it in her dishwasher. Well!!!!! Yesterday, I wasn't feeling quite up to par so my husband loaded the dishwasher, he doesn't do a very good job, but I was willing to let it go, just because I didn"t have the energy to do it. My dishes didn't come out all that clean, and when I protested he said he didn't know what happened. So I got a burst of energy and said "O.K. we're cleaning the dishwasher" ( I do this periodically, just because I know the soap doesn't get rinsed away all that well) I had him take the door off so I could get in deep, when the door came off there was all this crud in the bottom, which took me forever to clean, once I had that done I suggested he clean out the little reservoir for the sparkle liquid stuff, when we took that apart it was gross, we scrubbed and scrubbed, and then I ran the dishwasher with some vinegar to rinse things through, so .... The moral of the story is even though I now know my dishwasher is sparkling clean (I had visions of it not working when we put it back together) I most certainly would not be doing food prep in it. What happened to cooking fish the old fashion way in the oven?

My family likes fish, they are after all sons of a hunter/angler, so I've hunted out a few basic recipes for the upcoming lenten season. Our favorite remains the Honey Curry Salmon I have a few more to test, and I'll be posting my favorites. Forget the dishwasher.

Chocolate Chow Mein Clusters

2010-02-02T12:55:00.000-08:00

Here in Canada our Chinese community is beginning their celebration for Chinese New Year, which happens to be on Febuary 14th. This will be the year of the Tiger. The chow mein noodles in these cookies gives them an oriental flavour. Great no bake cookies, do add them to your list of must make.

Chocolate Chow Mein Clusters

1 ½ cups chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
½ cup butter
¼ c. smooth peanut butter
2 cups dry chow mein noodles
1 c. salted peanuts
Candied cherry halves

In top of double boiler over hot (not boiling) water, melt chocolate and butterscotch chips, butter and peanut butter, stirring often. In bowl, stir noodles and peanuts: pour in chocolate mixture and mix well.

Spoon into 1 inch mounds on waxed paper-lined baking sheets: garnish each with candied cherry half. Let stand 30 min. or refrigerate for 20 minutes until firm. (Clusters can be refrigerated in air-tight container for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 3 months. Let come to room temperature before serving) Makes about 4 dozen.

Yes we have no banana's today...

2010-02-01T06:42:00.000-08:00

I've never really understood that phrase in the song, and I'm too sick to sing. I took this shot to show my family that the bananas have to be very ripe for banana cake/bread/muffins. It seems my husband thinks these are "bad" and garburates them, and then I go out and buy ones off the reduce shelf so I can have them for baking. My son won't eat a banana but he'll gobble down this cake. I got the recipe from a co-worker many years ago and it always works. Have a Mellow Yellow Monday

Karen Scarpone’s Banana Bread

½ cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1tsp. baking soda dissolved in 4 tsp. boiling water

3 bananas mashed

2cups sifted flour

2 tsp. baking powder

Pinch salt

1 cup nuts (*walnuts or anything you have hanging around)

1 tsp vanilla

I often substitute chocolate chips for the nuts, just in case I have a nut allergy person around.

Cream together, butter, sugar and eggs.

Dissolve soda in water, mix with mashed bananas

Sift and mix together dry ingredients. Add alternately with banana mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Add nuts/chocolate chips and vanilla.

I bake this in a bundt pan, but you can certainly make it a loaf or cupcakes. Bake at 350 degrees in a greased pan. Enjoy.

Nurses do Nibblers

2010-01-13T16:33:00.000-08:00

It's been my experience that any nurse I know makes awesome "nibblers" so I've decided to dedicate my "nibbles" section of my cookbook to the nurses in my life that have so generously shared their delicious nibbler recipes with me so that I may share them with my family.

It was my mom's 90th birthday this weekend, and although I forgot my camera, I'm sure my niece will send along some lovely shots. Anyway, I made these very tasty Buffalo Chicken Dip nibblers. I first tasted this when my friend Janice (the nurse) made it for us on Boxing Day, she got this from her charge nurse, see what I mean about nurses doing nibblers.

Ingredients
1 pkg. (8oz./250gr.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. blue cheese salad dressing
1/c. any flavor Frank's Red Hot Sauce
2oz. crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup)
2 cans Premium White chunk chicken breast in water, drained
Assorted fresh vegtables and crackers for dipping.

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350F

Stir the cream cheese in a 9 inch deep dish pie plate with a fork or whisk until it's smooth. Stir in the dressing, hot sauce and blue cheese. Stir in chicken. Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir before serving. Serve with the vegetable and crackers.

Janice served these with pita triangles instead of vegetables, and crackers. She also used a cooked chicken breast shredded, instead of the canned chicken.

This is what I did, I have this thing for large groups dipping their hands into one bowl, sorry, just nuts. I mixed the chicken with the hot sauce and let it sit while my cream cheese softened, I then beat cream cheese and all the other ingredients,and then added the hot sauce chicken into it at last. I then spread it on a wrap, rolled it up and heated them through about 15 min. on a cookie sheet. When they were hot I sliced them up for a pop in your mouth treat. I had put some cucumber sticks and carrot sticks on the platter, so we didn't have "HOT LIPS". they were great and no real "dipping germs" When I make them next time I will use real chicken, I liked it better than the canned stuff. P.S. cook the breast of chicken of course.

Hat tip Nurse Alana and Nurse Jan

Broccoli Casserole

2010-01-05T08:30:00.000-08:00

O.K. I'm going to skip along from my cookie plates. I had a reluctant eater in my early stages of motherhood. It was as though he was born in an Italian household, only pasta after the age of 2. Prior to that he ate very well, I was going through birthday cards and on the back of his 1st Birthday I had written what he liked to eat.(collecting evidence) Leek and Mushroom soup was on the menu of the day. He loved it. Now I'm sure I'd have to pay him to eat a bowl of mushroom soup. Both my guys will still eat Chicken soup (homemade)but not interested in much else. Anyway I was told this Christmas that I was slacking off, because he hadn't had his broccoli lately. Apparently "I love broccoli casserole". (News to me) anyway maybe someone you love will love it too. It's been pretty much a staple at any family dinners and I'm kinda of sick of making it so I didn't, but here it is.

Broccoli Casserole
2 pkg. broccoli
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayonnaise
2 eggs
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. onion shredded *
Salt & pepper to taste
1 can sliced mushrooms drained
Ritz crackers crumbled

Steam broccoli, leaving it crisp and in bite size pieces.
Combine eggs, soup, mayo, cheese (reserving 1/2c.) onion if using, and sliced mushrooms if using. Toss with broccoli, spread in large oven proof dish, sprinkle with additional cheese and top with crumbled crackers. Bake at 350 degree about 35-45 min. or until the mixture resembles a quiche. Serve. Refrigerate leftovers.

Oven mates, Raspberry Squares

2010-01-02T17:22:00.001-08:00

these are the squares I make along with the Magic Bars, oven mates I call them. I start with Madelaine and then almond cookies and then squares, no oven turning off and then just a big clean up at the end. these are the must haves on my tray and then if I have anymore time or energy I'll continue tomorrow.

Raspberry Squares

1/2 c. butter
1 tbsp. sugar
1 egg (beaten)
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Mix together & press into a 9 in square pan

Top with jam of your choice, the recipe calls for 1/2 c. raspberry jam, but I've done anything I like, strawberry, blueberry or even sliced apples with sugar and cinnamon.

Topping

Butter size of walnut
1/2 brown sugar
1 egg
1/4c. chopped walnuts
1/2c coconut
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix together, spread on the top of the jam. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min. When cooled cut into squares. Freezes well.

What's on your cookie tray continued

2010-01-01T14:16:00.001-08:00

I'm still eating my way around the cooking tray. I've posted these recipes in the order I make them. I try preheat my oven only once. So I start with the Madeline's, then on to the Almond Cookies and now to the squares. I make the Magic Cookie Bars, and Raspberry Squares to go into the oven at the same time. (Energy efficient) You do need to own two 9x9 square pans.

Magic Cookie Bars

½ cup butter
1 ½ cups graham wafer crumbs
1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened condensed Milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 ¼ flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven 350 degrees
In a 9 x 9 square pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle crumbs over butter: mix together and press into pan.
Pour Eagle Brand evenly over crumbs. Sprinkle with chips, then coconut and nuts: press down firmly. Bake 25 30 min. or until lightly browned. Cool well before cutting. Store loosely covered at room temperature. Cut into bars.

What's on your cookie tray #3

2009-12-30T06:54:00.000-08:00

Almond Cookies

4c. (or more) of ground almonds
2 cups sugar
4 eggs (medium size)*
½ of a 43ml. bottle of almond extract

2 additonal eggs for dipping, and 1 cup coarse sugar to roll cookies in.
Combine 4c. almonds with sugar and eggs (the size of the eggs determines if you need a more almonds) and almond extract. COOL the mixture for about 1 hour in fridge.

Grease cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

I use a melon baller one of those yellow Tupperware ones so all my cookies are the same size, and therefore bake evenly.
Scoop batter into rounds, roll in your hands to make them lovely and round. Make all your balls and place them on a plate, then * take and additional egg white in a small bowl and beat it with a fork. In another small bowl put about ¼ cup of coarse sugar. (The sugar gets quite wet after awhile so use small portions at a time for rolling your cookies).
Each cookie is rolled in egg white and sugar, place about 2 inches apart from each other, bake for about 15 min. Be careful not to burn, with all that sugar and egg white it does happen. Let cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet. I usually have to wash my cookie sheet between batches of cookies.

What's on your cookie tray #2

2009-12-29T18:18:00.000-08:00

These are a must have if you've made the Almond Madeline you must have the chocolate as well. I always thought they would look great for a piano recital, so piano key like. I tried dipping these in white chocolate this year just for the heck of it, but other than they were delicious, they were a little messy looking, so I had to eat them. I think I would have had to make sure they were completely cold, not just cool before dipping. I used 3 squares of white chocolate and 1 tbsp melted shortening for my dipping solution.I melted these two combined over a double boilers, it does get hot. I thought they looked messy because some of the dark crumbs got into my white chocolate and ... but they were good. Enjoy.

Chocolate Madeline Cookies

4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1cup butter (melted)
1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
½ cup cocoa
¼ tsp. salt
Confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 400degrees

Grease Madeline pans. In a large bowl beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla until thick and the colour of lemon. Gradually add cool melted butter. Measure flour, cocoa and salt in another bowl. Fold into egg mixture. Spoon batter into prepared pans, bake for 6-9 min.. Cool slightly and remove from pan. Sprinkle plate and cookies with confectioners sugar (these are very sticky).

What's on your cookie tray?

2009-12-28T17:11:00.000-08:00

A million years ago I got the baking urge, now at any given moment I might just go into the kitchen and bake, hence the junk in my trunk. Anyway, this Christmas as always I baked cookies. I'll be posting some of the recipes on my "kitchen blog" throughout the week, just so I can enjoy them a little longer. This recipe is one I got from my friend Karen McGilvary- Scapone. I was a new bride when Karen and I met at the Robert Simpson Company, after we were on Maternity leave together we baked Christmas cookies other than what our mother's baked, we shared the pans for this recipe, because they were quite pricey, ( a whole $10.00 each, we were economical) I now own 3pans myself, since the urge to bake is unpredictable and Karen has moved to a distant community (no longer with in walking distance for me.) Anyway, these are a nice cake type cookie and I really like them, (but that says little, since it only has to be called a cookie and I like it.) If you need to store these for any length of time it's a good idea to put a wedge of lemon in the container and they will stay moist. (any length of time is more than one week, longer than that I would freeze them). Enjoy.

Chocolate dipped Almond Madeleine Cookies

Beat together
3 eggs
2/3 c. white sugar
1/4 tsp. almond extract
Gradually add
¾.c butter or margarine melted
Fold in
1c. flour
1/3 c. almonds

Spoon batter into well greased Madeleine pans.
Bake at 400 degree for 6-9 min. Remove from pan
and dip in choc. glaze as follows.

Chocolate Glaze
6oz. – 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp. shortening, melt together and dip
cookies partially into the choc. I sprinkle a
plate with icing sugar and sort of stand them up
since they really stick when they are freshly
removed from the pans.

Delicious Popcorn Hermina Makes

2009-12-04T05:51:00.000-08:00

Pop 1 cup popcorn set aside

In a medium size saucepan, with a heavy bottom if possible.

Melt: 1 cup butter
Add: 2cups Brown Sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
Bring to a boil, keep at a gentle boil for 5 min. approx.
Remove from heat and add 1 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 tsp baking soda.
Mix Well.

Pour pop corn in a low sided baking dish and pour butter mixture over it.Mix it up.
Bake in oven of 250 degree for 1 hr. stiring every 15 min.

I think Hermina also added some almonds to this mixture, and it was great.

Impossibly Easy chicken 'N Brococoli Quiche

2009-10-18T17:24:00.000-07:00

A number of years ago, my friend Karen invited me to lunch, I walked with my baby Daniel to her home which was not so close, By the time I got there I could hardly move. She of coarse had this wonderful quiche ready. I've never made any other kind since. It puffs up beautifully, I've changed the "kind" to suit my leftovers or my fridge contents. Like, making it a crab quiche. All I do is mix up the portion *** starting there over the desired "kind" always use the cheese of your choice or visit Marie and make her Bacon Leek Quiche.

Impossibly Easy Chicken’N Broccoli Quiche

10oz. cooked and chopped broccoli, (you can use frozen (thawed or leftover)
1 1/3 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 c. cooked chicken chopped
1 1/3 c. milk
***
3eggs
¾ c. Bisquick*
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp pepper

Heat oven to 400degree F. or 200degree C.. Grease 10” pie plate, or quiche pan. Mix Broccoli, cheese, chicken in pie plate. Beat milk, eggs Bisquick baking mix, salt and pepper 15 seconds in blender. Pour on top of Chicken mixture. Bake 30 – 35 min. or until knife inserted in centre come out clean. Cool 5 minutes. 6 servings.

Corn Meal Muffins

2009-10-10T07:53:00.000-07:00

Cornmeal Muffins

¾ c. cornmeal
1 ¼ c. milk
Mix together set aside

Sift together

1 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 c. sugar
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Stir into cornmeal mixture and add 1 slightly beaten
egg and ¼ c. melted shortening. Stir in blueberries.
Do not defrost frozen blueberries. Fill muffin tins ¾ full.

Bake in muffin pan lined with paper cups, @ 400 degrees, for
20- 25 min.

Squash Bisque, Country Style,

2009-10-07T07:58:00.001-07:00

Squash Bisque, Country Style
(Jamaica)

1 large winter squash, or a combo of several small ones.
It should be about 2c. of squash meat(I used butternut, acorn or even spaghetti squash)
Peeled and cut into chunks.
1 clove of garlic
1 pinch each marjoram, thyme and allspice
1 small onion finely chopped sautéed
½ tsp. sugar ( I use brown)
1/3c. sherry
1 slice lean bacon, fried crisp, crumbled
1 c. tomatoes
1 carrot
2 stalks celery
1 small potato (or 1 sweet potato)
2 tbsp. pearl barley/or rice
1 bay leaf
Tsp. Tabasco
6. c. stock/ beef/ chicken or vegetable

In a large sauce pan, fry bacon, when the bacon is crisp remove it and set aside to crumble for topping. Using the grease from the bacon, sauté onions, garlic which has been grated, celery chopped up, add marjoram, thyme and allspice. When the onions are translucent the mixture is done. I place all of this in a blender and crush it, that way my boys are not picking out the onions. Return to saucepan, add the stock, and potato, carrot, squash, bay leaf. Let cook until vegetables are tender, I like to use a potato masher to break things up, then I add the pearl barley and crushed tomatoes and bay leaf. Cook until all the flavours have a chance to mingle, approx. 30 min. (on med. Heat) add sugar and sherry and Tabasco. Serve with bacon crumbled on top of each bowl, with saltines or croutons. I also cut my bacon just ½ inch off the end of the lb. instead of fussing with a slice and then trying to crumble it up. Enjoy.

This recipe was given to my by Lois, my painting pal. I’m sure I’ve made personal adjustments so. .. I often leave the bay leaf out, just because my mother never cared for bay leaves and she was often at the table when I served this , and I have added a red pepper to my sauté and left out the Tabasco, I like the sweet potato as well and I like to mix up all different squashes. If I use the spaghetti squash alone I don’t use the potatoe masher to break up the vegtables, or I add the spaghetti squash after I mash.

Kopitka

2009-10-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

Kopitka are Potato Dumplings.

3 cups of mashed potatoes, (I make extra amount of potatoes when I make them for supper and just use the leftovers for this dish.)They should be cold.
I put the potatoes which have been salted according to your taste into a bowl.
I draw a cross across the bowl dividing the potatoes into 4 equal parts. Scoop out one of the quarters, fill this void with all purpose flour, add 2 eggs to this and mix together, including the scooped out potatoes, with your hand. Keep adding flour until the dough comes away from your hand and you can roll it into a long sausage like roll.
I knead and roll this out on a floured surface and then cut into one- two inch chunks.

Boil a 4quart saucepan of water, I add about 1 tbsp. of oil just so they don't stick together. When water comes to a boil toss each chunk in, do not over fill the pot with too many chunks the above portion was done in two stages. When the chunks boil for awhile, and rise to the top they are done, drain, rinse and toss with melted butter.

My family likes to top these with farmers cottage cheese. But they are great with stew, or spaghetti sauce.

Apricot Peach Pie

2009-09-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

Apricot Peach Pie

1 unbaked 9” pie shell
1 cup packed dried apricots, cut in halves
19 oz. sliced peaches canned*
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch

Streusel topping:
1/2c. sliced almonds
¼ cup sugar
1/4cup flour
2 tbsp. butter

Cover apricots with boiling water in small saucepan and let stand one hour. Meanwhile prick pasty shell all over with a fork. Line with parchment or foil, fill with weights or dry rice. Bake in pre heated oven 425F. oven for 8 minutes. Remove liner and weights, bake 7 minutes longer or until bottom is dry and firm. Let cool on rack while you prepare filling. Drain apricots, well and discard liquid. Pour liquid from peaches over apricots* and set peaches aside. Add lemon juice and rind to apricots. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until apricots are very tender and liquid is reduced by about a third. About 20 minutes. Stir together gently over medium heat until liquid is thickened and translucent. Gently stir in peaches. Cool 5 minutes then spoon into prebaked pie shell. Sprinkle with Streusel Topping. Bake in preheated oven 425F oven for 15 -20 min. or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown.

Streusel topping:

Stir together almonds, sugar and flour. Blend in butter with a fork until mixture is crumbly.

Serves 6-8

*The recipe called for canned peaches, I do use fresh if I have them. I then use apple juice to steam the peaches.

When in doubt, make cheesecake...

2009-06-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

It was my sons birthday on Saturday, and it was a celebration just with the four of us. How small a cake could I make well really little as it turns out. I have this 4 in spring form pan that I made 1/2 the recipe below and the remainder I made into cupcake size. Mmmmmmmmmmmm is all I can say.

Individual Mini Oreo Cheesecakes

This is today’s version of the Oreo Cheesecakes, I’ve made several different kinds, just slight differences. They are all GOOD. I like making them in cupcake form because they are just great for quick “controlled “ snacks

3 pkg. (8oz./250g.) cream cheese, softened
3/4c. sugar
3 eggs
24 Oreo cookies
1/4c. chocolate chips (optional)
Whipped cream (optional)

Line 24 cupcake tins with cupcake wrappers

Place 1 Oreo Cookie in the bottom (you can break these up if you like) this is the bottom crust.

Beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended.
Add eggs one at a time and mix well.
Spoon into cuptins.
Bake @ 350 for 15-20 Min.
Place in refrigerator for at least one hour to firm up.
*Optional
Drizzle with melted chocolate, and top with spoon full of whipping cream.

I don’t top unless it’s a special occasion and I prefer to use a chocolate covered strawberry instead of the drizzled chocolate and then the whip cream.

I also like to add those little snack Oreos into the batter after I have poured them into the cupcake tins. You just can’t mess these up. They are great little treats.

Again I don't know how I got all this underlined stuff but it's there.

May just snuck up on me and is almost over...

2009-05-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

I've been trying really hard not to eat too much, to my sincere surprise I'm still not losing weight. Time for some more drastic action. With the weather getting a little better I must resume my walking, I believe if I do that at the end of each day I'll be too tired to eat when I get home and then I can just go to bed. Let's see how that works out. In the meantime I'm dying for a cookie. One of my favourites here. But, then again I've never MADE a cookie I didn't like.

From Food and Drink Spring 2006

Spiced Sugar Cookies

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup finely ground pecans or walnuts
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter softened
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 egg whites
1 tsp cold water
1/2 cup turbinado sugar

1. In a medium bowl stir together flour, pecans, baking powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt, then set aside.

2.In a separate bowl and using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla just until combined.

3. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture just until combined.

4.Form dough into a ball, then divide into 2 pieces. With lightly floured hands, flatten each piece into a 1/2 -inch -thick disc, then wrap and refrigerate for 40 minutes or until firm enuogh to roll.

5. Preheat oven to 325 F

6. Line two 12x18 1nch baking sheets with parchment paper.

7.On a lightly floured surface roll out one piece of dough to 1/8 inch thickness, then cut rounds with a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter. Arrange cookies 1/2 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.

8. In a small bowl, whisk together egg whites and water. In a separate bowl, stir together turbinado sugar, and remaining cinnamon.Brush tops of cookies with egg mixture ,then sprinkle each generously with sugar nixture.

9. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges of cookies are golden.Let cool on wire racks, then store in airtight containers, with wax paper between layers.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies. .

Orange Glazed Chicken Wings

2009-04-26T12:51:00.000-07:00

ORANGE GLAZED CHICKEN WINGS
15 chicken wings
1 egg, beaten
20 crushed Breton crackers
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup seafood sauce
1 tsp salt
Dip wings in eggs, then crumbs. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
Combine remaining ingredients until sugar dissolves. Baste chicken.
Bake 25 - 30 minutes longer, turning occasionally.
For a dip, blend 1 cup sour cream, 1 tbsp orange rind, and 1 tbsp honey or sugar.
Vitamin C on the wing.
* I found I needed more than the 20 crushed crackers, and I have done this recipe with Chicken breasts or drumbsticks. I also browned the wings in a frying pan with a little oil, and then reduced the baking time to just the 25 min. with the glaze.

Lost in translation

2009-04-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

I thought I better let you know how I make that white barszcz (Zurek). I start with that Saturday Soup that we eat on Sunday. *I add the mixture that I purchased at my local Polish Deli. The label was somewhat decieving, but once I got my Polish mind going, I figured this must be it, it's a very literal translation."Sour Soup" refers to the method used to obtain the results required for this particular soup. I was so delighted when I read the label at how low in fat this was( 0%), then I remembered I was going to whisk in 1/2 pint 35% cream. Sometimes I find this a little lacking in flavour so I'll add some Vegeta (similar to oxo cubes, but more flavour). And that is it, heat thoroughly. I serve it with hard boiled eggs, horseradish, kielbasa and rye bread. Refrigerate leftovers.

Now you can make this mixture yourself. Place 1 loaf of rye bread in a 2 gallon crock and fill the crock with boiling water. Cover with cheese cloth and allow to sit for 2 -3 days, until it sours. Hence the name "Sour Soup" Strain the liquid and refrigerate liquid until use. Place the liquid in a 6 quart pot and add the 2 1/2 tsp. salt,, 1 3/4 tsp. pepper and 1 1/2 tsp. sour salt (citric acid), bring to a boil. And now you can continue from *.

If I'm not making this for easter and just feel like it, and I do, Nardini Sausage goes great in it. Nardin Sausage is located in Stoney Creek Ontario. Or if you have a favorite sausage by all means experiment. Cook sausage,any way you like, slice and add to soup.

Buraczki, Beets in Horseradish

2009-04-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

This is a festive staple at the Polish table. Choose 5 or 6 medium size beets. I like to steam these, I don't peel them until they are cooked to fork tenderness. When they are cool, I grate them and add a little vinegar approx. 1tbsp. 1 tsp. salt, and horseradish also to taste. For me it's usually 50/50. Mix well, put into a jar with a tight lid. Store in Refrigerator.

This is absolutely great with ham, and KIELBASA. My husband and I add it to our Barszcz at Christmas Time. I serve it at breakfast on Easter morning along with our ham and eggs. Enjoy.

One year before we were married, my husband thought he would score points with my mom and decided to grate the horseradish himself, (he was cheap even back then) Well we started in the kitchen and the fumes were so strong he ended up on the porch, in the cold, never accomplished much, it was just too strong a fragrance, burned your eyeballs and squeezed your lungs.
Needless to say he got a 0 for a job not too well done, but she still let him watch Wrestling with her.

Good Friday eats.

2009-04-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

I know this will have little to do with a recipe, but our Polish/Catholic Easter traditions sure do have a lot to do with food, and my mothers interpretation of what we're eating. After Ash Wednesday, some forty days, my mother would make us fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. I think now that the Wednesday bit was her not wanting to think of something to cook. I guess pleasing 6 members of the family was quite a challenge. You never said you didn't like something and then she would make you something else, like at my house, you just ate it. If my father was working afternoon shift,which he often did, we would get these unusual concoctions, like sardines with onions, or mustard sandwiches we gobbled them up, my husband would DIE if I served him a plate of onions. So when my family turns their nose up when I serve them Rainbow Trout, I say fooey to you. The option is sardines and onions. Today being Good Friday, we do fast or abstain, not too much though, we'll be having pierogi for supper, just no meat. I usually do "Blackened Sole, but since my gourmet isn't going to be home to eat it, I'm sticking with pierogi. I will however include the recipe.

Blackened Sole with Internal Damnation Sauce

Even the most innocent "soles" will feel the heat from this succulent seafood. This hot dish will spice up your weekend.

Ingredients:
Internal Damnation Sauce:
• 1 lb. fresh hot red peppers, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 cups distilled white vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 drop liquid smoke
Blackening seasoning:
• 1 teaspoon each ground white pepper and ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons each dried thyme and dried marjoram
• 1 tablespoon each garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and cayenne
• 4 tablespoons paprika
Sole:
• 4 large filets of sole
• 1 stick melted butter

Directions:
1. Combine peppers, garlic, vinegar, salt and liquid smoke in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Remove pepper mixture from heat and blend in 2-3 batches until smooth, then strain into a clean glass jar and set aside to cool. Cover and refrigerate until use
3. Combine and blend seasoning ingredients and set aside.
4. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.
5. Turn on the ventilator hood fan, open the windows and disconnect the smoke alarms. Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat for 8-10 minutes until hotter than hell.
6. Rinse the sole in water and blot dry. Brush both sides of the filets with melted butter and coat well with seasoning mix.
7. Carefully lay the filets two at a time into the hot pan and cook for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes on each side. Then lay sole in a pool of Internal Damnation Sauce and get ready to feel the burn.

If this seems like a lot of work to you, it is. But, I always tried to get that pain in the neck of my eldest son to eat, he was so skinny, so when he took an interest in food, I jumped on it. He's the one not going to be home today. I think what appealed to my guys was the play on words for this recipe and how we should eat it on Good Friday, annoying little pains that they are.

They found this recipe on the food network, Dinner & a Movie. I hate to tell them this but if they lived in my mother's house they wouldn't be watching television and awful movies on Good Friday either. I told them they didn't have to worry about their "soles" as I was saving them a seat REALLY close to "the fire".

Roasted Garlic and Artichoke Pizza

2009-04-02T05:15:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe from The Barn School of Cooking. Pizza without tomato sauce!

Roasted Garlic and Artichoke Pizza

Pizza dough for a 12- inch pizza
1 tsp. hot pepper flakes
1 head roasted garlic*
1 c. grated Asiago cheese
½ c. chopped prosciutto (approx. 50 gr.)
1 398 ml. can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered.

Gently work pepper flakes into pizza dough (This is store bought pizza dough) Roll out dough into 12 inch circle. Place dough on greased pizza pan.

Spread garlic on dough and top with ½ c. Assiago cheese and all the prosciutto. Arrange artichoke hearts on top, sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 500 degrees for 12 – 15 min. or until crust is golden brown.

Makes 2 or 3 main course servings or 12 appetizers.

*Roasted Garlic . To roast garlic, cut top off pointed end of garlic bulbs. Place on shiny side of aluminum foil and wrap. Bake at 400degree for 1 hour or until tender. Once cooled, squeeze pulp from garlic bulb. Can be frozen for up to 3 months.

If you are like me, you will not put the oven on for an hour at 400 degrees, for just one head of garlic. So, I usually plan this meal and schedule it in during one of the days that I have a roast in or I'm baking for the whole day. With Easter fast approaching, I know I will be baking, so this pizza is usually made for me, (my son and husband don't like something or other on the pizza, too bad, it's delicious.) I usually made it for us as we were painting eggs on Wednesday night, and they got to have a pizza with their own toppings on it. Remember the garlic flavor subsides and it's quite sweet after roasting. I've actually skipped the prosciutto, added more artichokes and loved it. Sasha loves roasted garlic in his potatoes. I think I might give the dough a try with a recipe from my Artisan Bread in Five Minutes. Enjoy

Shrimp and Cucumber Salad

2009-03-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

Yet another addition to my Chinese cooking book. I know shrimp are an endangered item, but my son just loves this combo.

Shrimp and Cucumber Salad

1 large cucumber cut in half lengthwise& sliced very thinly.
½ lb. shrimp
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 rib celery
Small bunch of Vermicelli

Sprinkle shrimp with salt. Remove the shell. In a med. Saucepan, bring 3 cups water to boil. Boil shrimp for 1 min. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process. Or use cooked shrimp. Slice cucumbers and place in bowl, sprinkle with salt and set aside for 10 min. Chop rib of celery. Bring larger saucepan filled ¾ full with water to boil. Boil vermicelli for 5 min. Drain, and rinse.

While Vermicelli is cooking. Squeeze water from cucumbers, drain away. Combine Shrimp, cucumbers, celery and drained and rinsed Vermicelli toss with dressing.

In separate bowl combine 1 tsp. salt, vinegar, sugar, lemon juice. This will be the dressing for the cucumbers, shrimp and vermicelli.
* I have successfully substituted chicken for the shrimp. Of course I cut it up into bite size pieces, and stir fried it.
Serves 4.

Yet another delicious recipe

2009-03-27T17:36:00.000-07:00

My sister makes this salad, and I had to add it to my book, I hope you enjoy it.

Mandarin Salad

2 heads Romain lettuce hearts
3/4 - 1 cup pecan halves toasted
2 oranges - peeled and sliced OR 1 can mandarin oranges (drained)
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 small red onion chopped
1 tsp dry mustard
2 Tbsp. water

Mix the vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, mustard and water. It will become syrupy. Let it stand
Arrange your lettuce with the sliced red onion.
Toast the pecans in the toaster oven..... I do not bake them.... I just put them on the TOAST cycle for about 4 min. Watch them carefully, so they do not burn.... you will need to stand and watch them as they are toasting..... The toasting improves the flavour of the pecans.

Toss your salad with the dressing..... add the mandarins and pecans and lightly toss again. You may want to add more mandarins if desired.

Chicken, chicken and more chicken

2009-03-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

My son loves chicken,...and mashed potatoes. But, I'm so sick of cooking it the same boring way, I thought I would expand my horizons. Tuesdays, I visit my mother and I'm usually pretty exhausted, but I still get home and cook supper. STUPID eh! Anyway last night I made this Kraft Kitchen recipe. I was so tired I forgot the cheese, but it was very good anyway.
Cheesy BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
Prep time:
10 min
Total Time:
25 min
Makes:
4
What You Need
1 onion, thinly sliced, separated into rings
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb./450 g)
1/4 cup KRAFT Original BarBQ Sauce
3/4 cup shredded CRACKER BARREL Cheddar Cheese Light - Made with 2% Milk
4 whole wheat sandwich rolls (6 inch), partially split
Make It

HEAT large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add onions; cover. Cook 2 min.; stir onions, then push to edge of skillet. Add chicken; cook 4 min. Turn chicken over; top with barbecue sauce. Cook, covered, on medium-low 6 min. or until chicken is cooked through (165ºF). Stir onions.

SPRINKLE chicken with cheese; cook, covered, 1 min. or until cheese is melted.

FILL rolls with chicken and onions.

Our Piano book

2009-03-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

Our workshop creating a Piano Book was GREAT. But I think I will go out and purchase some chopsticks to use in the one to hold my chinese cooking recipes. It's very interesting as you'll see. The weather is good today so I may just make it to the China Town store.

Basic Fried Rice

2009-03-22T06:58:00.000-07:00

This is the original recipe for fried rice I have from the cooking class. Remember this was in the 70s so salt, fat and carbs were not in the forefront of our dietary awareness. Cook to desired doneness. I like my mushrooms thoroughly cooked and my shrimp not too chopped. I also add celery. I also use brown rice, or a mixture of rices. Alter as you like.

Basic Fried Rice

1 c. long grain rice ½ lb. barbecue pork, shredded.(I purchase this at our local Asian Grocery, otherwise watch for recipe on how to make your own.
2 eggs ½ lb. shrimp cooked
½ tsp. soy sauce ½ c. chopped onions *
½ tsp. salt 1 c. bean sprout
1 tbsp. oil 1 chopped green onions

Boil or steam rice as you like. Loosen up rice and let it cool. Beat eggs with a pinch of salt. Cook in fry pan as a thin omelette. When cool, chop up egg and set aside. Add 1 tsp. oil and 1 tsp. salt to a fry pan/wok and fry shrimp. Set aside. Stir fry onions* in a hot wok, for a short time add bean sprouts continue stirring for about 2 min. or until heated through, add cooked rice, shrimps, barbeque pork, . When all is heated thoroughly, add egg, soy sauce, salt if desired, green onions. Toss to mix and serve when heated through.

* The originally recipe calls for a Spanish onion, I have over the years mixed this up to a Vidallia, or a red onion, they change the taste ever so slightly. I fry the onions only enough to get the bitterness out before adding the remainder of the ingredients. You can also add mushrooms, and green peas (canned or frozen), canned peas can be drained and added just before serving, frozen peas should be added in the early stages after the onion. The mushrooms should be added before the onion as they will require a little more cooking time, stir fry these at a high temp., my preference is to have them thoroughly cooked so when the water is gone, continue recipe.

Won Ton Soup

2009-03-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

Won Ton Soup

½ lb. won ton skins
4oz. minced pork
4 oz. minced shrimp
1 tsp. memi
2 tbsp. white wine
Pinch salt and pepper
3 ½ c. pork stock
1 egg

Add to soup
¼ lb. snow peas
1 doz. Sliced water chestnuts
2 leaves Buk Tuey (chopped)
2 green onions ( chopped)
½ tsp. memi

Mix the pork, shrimp, salt, pepper and white wine. Put ½ tsp. of the filling in the centre of each skin. Fold over and dampen one side with egg and pinch together. Cook the won ton very gently in boiling salted water for 15 minutes. Then drain and put into individual bowls.

Bring pork stock to a boil, add the snow peas, water chestnuts and buk tuey, green onions and memmi. Pour over the won tons and serve.

Notes
I don’t care for water chestnuts so I leave them out, and I use my own stock, not usually pork. I also like my snow peas cooked a little more, still crisp but cooked so I delay adding the buk tuey and green onions and memmi for about 7 minutes while I heat thoroughly the soup. Buk Tuey is a leafy herb available at Chinese grocery stores, or I have used parsley instead. Memmi is a milder soy sauce, which you can use instead if you can’t find memmi.

Piano Hinge book

2009-03-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

In our monthly book binding group we will be doing a Piano Hinged book! It's very cool. I thought it reminded me of the Orient, so I've decided to capture my favourite Chinese food recipes. My sister Donna took a Chinese food cooking class and these are our favourites as well as, some of the ones I've developed over the years, what with pregnancy cravings and all. They will be in no particular order until they get put into the book. It's a small book, not too much room required on the book shelf.

Sweet-and sour chicken with cucumbers and cantaloupe

4 skinless,boneless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
1 ½ tbsp. Soy sauce
1 tbsp. dry sherry
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. veg. oil
1 peeled cucumber, cut into bite-size cubes
¼ to ½ cantaloupe, seeded, peeled, and cut into bite size pieces
1 sweet red pepper, cubed
1 ounces blanched, whole almonds

Sauce
3 tbsp. brown sugar
3 tbsp. vinegar
½ c. pineapple juice*
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. cornstarch in 2 tbsp. cold water

Marinate chicken cubes in the combined soy sauce, dry sherry, and cornstarch while remaining ingredients are being prepared. Heat oil in the wok., stir-fry chicken mixture for 3-4 min. Add the cucumber, cantaloupe, and red pepper. Combine the ingredients for the sweet and sour sauce and add these to wok. Stir gently and heat until the sauce boils and the cucumber and melon are heated through. Serve at once garnished with almonds.

*I’ve successfully substituted apple, or orange juice for the pineapple juice in the sauce. I don't always have pineapple juice hanging around, but most of the other ingredients are not too far out.

Yes we have some banana's today...

2009-03-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

Just as I feel a song coming on, I realized that since I have not been eating or serving food much this weekend my family, who can't even peel a banana, have let them ripen, so I guess it will be Banana Bread Time.

Banana Bread

½ c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
Dissolve in 4 tsp. boiling water
3 bananas mashed
2 c. sifted flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Pinch salt
1tsp. vanilla
1 c. nuts
Cream butter and sugar add eggs. Dissolve soda & mix with mashed bananas. Sift & mix together dry ingredients add alternately to butter mixture with banana mixture. Add vanilla and nuts.

Bake in a greased loaf or bundt pan for 35-40 min at 350 degrees F.

My personal preference in banana bread is large hunks of chocolate. But you might have guessed that. As much as you have left in the baking drawer that your kids have not eaten.

Pancake Tuesday,

2009-02-24T15:51:00.000-08:00

I love these things, and my kids do too. I often don't put anything inside. Just stack them up or fold them over and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on them or maple syrup.

Crepes

1 ¼ c. flour
1/34/ c. milk
Pinch salt
2 tsp. sugar
2 eggs – separated
1 tbsp. butter melted

Sift flour, salt & sugar. Separate eggs- beat egg whites and add to flour mixture- do not mix yet. Mix milk & egg yolks together- add to flour mixture. Blend well and add enough milk to make batter runny. Add melted butter.

Fry on crepe pan as thinly as possible. Fill with desired mixture and enjoy.

Donna Nowak- Allerton
Registered Nurse

But if you must put something do.

Eating in other places

2009-02-22T06:58:00.001-08:00

My friend Anna, who was my "Boss" when I worked for Elections Canada comes up with some unusual sandwiches. You must understand in the 36days of election period in Canada we are stuck in an office for 12hrs. a day 7 days a week. You get pretty tired of eating take-out, so you end up bringing lunches an dinners to work and doing a little more than heating up. Well Anna was having this sandwich with veal and lemons. Yes she sliced lemons really thinly and was eating them. Now I know most of you have probably gotten that email talking about the germs one can find on the rind of a lemon, but if you watched City TV they actually did a scientific experiment and went to some of the local eateries and bars and swabbed the boards and lemons and sent them off to the lab. Well as it turns out your toothbrush has more germs than lemons in your water. I don't particularly like lemons in my water so it was never an issue for me, but that lemon sandwich sure was. So I went out and bought these lemons. They are"DANDY" Meyer Lemons. So today will be veal cutlets for supper, (with leftovers for lunch sandwiches) and I'm definitely making the recipe on the tag. I'll post it for tomorrow if it is any good, sounds great. Chocolate is involved.

A little fuss for family day

2009-02-15T16:49:00.000-08:00

Monday, February 16th is Family Day in Ontario. Most places are closed. So families are stuck together with not much to do. My guys are preparing for exams. So I think I'll make a little something for breakfast that isn't cereal.

Cornmeal Muffins

¾ c. cornmeal
1 ¼ c. milk
Mix together set aside

Sift together

1 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 c. sugar
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Stir into cornmeal mixture and add 1 slightly beaten
egg and ¼ c. melted shortening. Stir in blueberries.
Do not defrost frozen blueberries. Fill muffin tins ¾ full.

Bake in muffin pan lined with paper cups, @ 400 degrees, for
20- 25 min.

Connie Bronze
Neighbour on Elora Dr.

My Royal Valentine

2009-02-14T05:59:00.000-08:00

If you don't feel like a Valentine today, just make yourself this lovely desert it will make you feel Royal.

Cherry Cream Crown

2 pkgs. Lady Fingers
¼ c. brandy or rum or your favourite liqueur
1 pkg. 8oz. cream cheese softened
½ c. sugar
1 pint of whipping cream, whipped
1 tsp. vanilla*
1 can of cherry pie filling (21oz)

Brush Lady Fingers with liqueur of choice. Line the sides and bottom of a 9”springform pan, rounded sides against the pan.

Beat whipping cream and vanilla until stiff, set aside. In another bowl beat cheese and sugar. Gently but thoroughly fold in cheese mixture. Spread a layer of mixture in pan, top with lady fingers repeat with mixture. Refrigerate until firm.
Top with Cherry pie filling before serving. DO NOT freeze.

* I like to use an almond flavoured liqueur so I then use almond extract here. Optional

Meryl Folger,
Human Resource Supervisor
Co worker Robert Simpson Co.

Broccoli Casserole

2009-02-12T06:44:00.001-08:00

Broccoli Casserole

2 pkg. broccoli
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayonnaise
2 eggs
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. onion
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
Salt and pepper
Ritz crackers crushed.

Steam broccoli, leaving it crisp, & broken in bite-size pieces.
Combine eggs, soup, mayo, cheese, onion and mushrooms.
When broccoli is ready place in large casserole dish, toss with
Mushroom mixture, sprinkle with additional cheese if desired.
Tope with crushed crackers, bake about 45 minutes at 350degrees.
Or until done. Don’t you just love it when recipes say this, how do
You know it’s done if you’ve never made it before. Well I’ll tell
You. If your casserole is 9 x 13 and somewhat shallow it bakes
Quicker, if it’s deep you do need to leave it in for a longer period
Of time. The mixture when baked through should resemble a
Quiche.

WARNING

A woman goes to her boyfriend's parents' house for
Christmas dinner.

This is to be her first time meeting
the family and she is very nervous.

They all sit down and begin eating a fine
meal.

The woman is beginning to feel a
little discomfort, thanks to her nervousness and the
broccoli casserole.. The gas pains are almost making her
eyes water. Left with no other choice, she decides to
relieve herself a bit and lets out a dainty fart.

It wasn't loud, but everyone at
the table heard the poof.

Before she even had a chance to be
embarrassed, her boyfriend's father looked over at the
dog that had been snoozing under the woman's chair, and
said in a rather stern voice, 'Skippy!'.

The woman thought, 'This is
great!' and a big smile came across her
face.

A couple of minutes later, she was
beginning to feel the pain again.

This time, she didn't even hesitate. She
let a much louder and longer rrrrrip.

The father again looked at the dog and
yelled, 'Skippy!'

Once again the woman smiled and thought
'Yes!' A few minutes later the woman had to let another
rip. This time she didn't even think about it.

She let a fart rip that rivaled a train
whistle blowing.

Once again, the father looked at the dog
with disgust and yelled, 'Skippy, get away from her,
before she shits on you!'

Just a little tid bit, for those of us out there not wanting our children to marry that person they are bringing home for dinner, Broccoli Casserole is not a registered weapon, but it should be.

A slice of sunshine

2009-02-11T18:42:00.000-08:00

It's been a long cold winter, and the vegetables out there are not so nice. But then there is always, cabbage, I needed a slice of sunshine so the addition of pineapple is nice, keep the dressing to a minimum and it's even o.k. for our diets.
When I reduce this recipe, I just reduce the amount of cabbage and mayo and leave the rest it gives me a whole new surprise. It's quite a large recipe otherwise.
Hawaiian Coleslaw

8 c. shredded cabbage
¾ c. pineapple chunks
½ c. raisins
½ c. diced celery
3 or 4 shredded carrots
1 orange, peeled, sectioned & cut in half
¾ cup mayonnaise, or Miracle Whip dressing
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve chilled.

Teresa Chrapala-Makarewicz
Home Economist

Teresa Chrapala-Makarewicz is my sister in law on my husband's side (married to my husband's brother) she is a professional Home Economist, I think this recipe was developed during her days with The Barn Food Markets. My family like coleslaw so this makes a nice change to the usual combo. You may sometimes see Teresa on the shopping channel or CHCH cooking show I think at noon.

Happy Day Cake

2009-02-04T10:51:00.000-08:00

My friend Janice is celebrating a Birthday, so I hope her mom bakes this great cake she always bakes. It just doesn't taste as delicious when I make it, but here's the recipe anyway.

Blueberry or Cherry Cake

1c. sugar
1 c. Crisco oil
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 ½ c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
Pinch salt
1 can cherry or blueberry pie filling

Combine sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Add sifted flour, baking powder and salt: mix again. There is no milk or water in this batter. It is very stiff. Put ½ of bake batter in and ungreased 9 x12 inch pan. Spread evenly. Spread can of pie filling over batter and spread with remaining batter. ( dot evenly over the pie filling). Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 325 degree for 1 hr. The cake gets moister the longer it sits. Can be served with whipped cream. Freezes well.

Janice McEwen- Catherwood
Best friend ever.

Beets that are really good ...

2009-02-03T11:29:00.000-08:00

Sasha works tonight so it will be a dinner with just my husband and I. I always get away with having what I like on those nights. So beets it is. I found this recipe on a tag attached to the beets, made it and loved it. I'm not sure what any of the food values are or fat content or calories but what the heck, I'm not frying, or adding cream so I'm up one.

Baked Grated Beets

5 medium sized beets shredded
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 smallish potato, grated
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. white vinegar
2 tbsp. brown sugar ½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. water ¼ tsp. pepper.

Place beets in a greased 1 quart casserole. Add onions and potato. In a small bowl, stir together oil, vinegar, sugar, water, salt and pepper. Stir into vegetable mixture, cover tightly, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 min. Stir once or twice during cooking. Makes 4 serving.

After I make a dish once, I try to reduce the fat and sugar so that’ll be tonight’s adventure. I used a non-stick casserole so I skipped the greasing of the dish. Enjoy.

Angel Food Cafe

2009-02-02T11:13:00.000-08:00

I few years ago we took my mother out to the Angel Food Cafe in Grimsby Ontario, for her birthday. The chef there made a incredibly delicious soup. He also sold the spices for that soup. I've been saving this spice for special occasions, because for some reason the cafe is no longer open, and thus the spices are no longer available. I wish I knew someone in a CSI lab so they could tell me what was in this great mixture. So Sunday's soup was Sweet Potatoe and Parsnip. My husband doesn't particularly care for the angel mixture, so I kept it for myself. If anyone knows this chef please beg him for the spice recipe. Here it is ...

Sweet Potatoe and Parsnip

1 med. to large sweet potatoe
1 parsnips
3 cups stock, about
1/4 c. heavy cream

I steamed these two, after peeling and cutting into approx. the same size pieces. When they were fork tender, I mashed them coarsely with a potatoe masher. Add stock to desired consistency. Just before serving whisk in cream. Serve with a great rye bread. Ambrosia I say... * I put 1/4 tsp. of my angel mixture into my bowl and BAM is not a strong enough word to describe it.

Remember I'm using the stock I made on Saturday night so I've been able to control the salt and fat.

Supper Bowl Crab Dip

2009-02-01T15:47:00.000-08:00

I think it must be nurse requirement, that you must make awesome appetizers. Anyway my sister Donna is a nurse and this is one of her awesome appetizers. I don't think I've ever known her not to be tired, so maybe they(nurses) make awesome appetizers because they can't stay awake for the main course, Just kidding. Enjoy

Donna ‘s Crab Dip

1 large can of crabmeat
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese
3 tbsp. Mayo
½ tsp. Worcestshire sauce
½ tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. tobasco
½ tsp. garlic juice

Cream cheese until softened, add drained and crumbled crabmeat and the remaining ingredients. Bake at 320 degrees for 25 -30 min. Serve warm with Triscut crackers or crackers of your choice.

Banana Split Cake

2009-01-31T08:25:00.000-08:00

Banana Split Cake

2c. graham cracker crumbs
¾ lb. unsalted butter
2 eggs
2 c. icing sugar
4 bananas
1 can crushed pineapple well drained
1 ½ pint whipping cream or nutriwhip
Cherries, nuts and shaved chocolate

Combine 2c. crumbs with ¼ c. melted butter, press into lg. spring form pan. Beat well ½ lb. butter, 2 c. sugar & eggs. Spread this mixture on top of crumbs. Peel and slice bananas, lengthwise, place on butter mixture, top with well drained pineapple. Beat whipping cream until stiff, spread on pineapple mixture and refrigerate. Decorate with cherries, nuts and shaved chocolate just before serving.

Received from:
Bette Hamilton-McEwen
Nana McEwen, Janice’s mom

Polenta Cubes with Goat Cheese Veg. Sauce

2009-01-28T16:39:00.000-08:00

Polenta Cubes

13 in by 9 inch cookie sheet with sides, sprayed with vegetable spray.
2cups. water
1 cup cornmeal
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic

In a deep saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add garlic. Reduce heat to low and gradually whisk in cormneal. Pay attention to this or you'll get lumps. Cook 5 minutes, stirring all the while. Stir in Parmesan. Pour out onto baking sheet, smooth out. Chill.

Sauce

2tsp. vegetable oil
2tsp. minced garlic
2cups chopped leeks
2 cups. red bell peppers
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2/3 cups chopped softened sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 c. sliced black olives
2tsp. dried basil
4oz. goat cheese crumbled
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

In a large nonstick saucepan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic, leeks, and red peppers: cook 5 to 8 minutes until soft and slightly browned. Stir in vegetable stock, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and basil. Reduce heat to medium, cove and cook 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut cooled polenta into 1/2 inch squares. Stir cheese and balsamic vinegar into sauce until cheese melts. Stir in polenta cubes, cook, stirring 4 minutes or until heated through. Serve immediately.

In a hurry! Pour your hot palenta into individual shallow pasta bowls and then just top with the sauce. MMMMMMMMMMMMMM. good.

I have reheated by frying the polenta cubes (without the sauce) and then topping with sauce. * I personally do not like balsamic vinegar and have left it out with acceptable results.

Tortellini Minestrone with Spinach

2009-01-27T10:41:00.000-08:00

Tortellini Minestrone with Spinach

2tsp. vegetable oil 2tsp. minced garlic
1 cup chopped onion ½ cup chopped carrots
½ cup chopped celery 4cups stock
1sp. Dried basil ¼ tsp. black pepper
1 1/2cups diced plum tomatoes(canned will do)
2cups freshly chopped spinach
2cups frozen cheese tortellini
3tbs. grated parmesan cheese.

In a non-stick saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onions, carrots and celery : cook 4 minutes or until onions are softened.

Add stock, basil and pepper. Bring to a boil: reduce heat to medium and cook 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender crisp.

Stir in tomatoes, spinach. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes.

In another pot, bring 4cups water to boil. Add tortellini and cook until water returns to boil and tortellini rise to top. Drain, rinse. Spoon tortellini into bowls add soup, garnish with parmesan cheese.

* I sometimes buy the plum tomatoes with seasoning for a change of taste. Or the tri-colored tortellini just for fun. Store leftover soup separately from tortellini in refrigerator. Tortellini just suck up all the soup liquid.

Warm all over soup...

2009-01-23T16:14:00.000-08:00

The gym group are sharing soup recipes. So I'll skip the gym and just give them a really great soup.
Red Onion and Grilled Red Pepper Soup

Preheat oven to Broil
Baking Sheet

3 large red bell peppers
2 tsp. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp. packed brown sugar *
5 red onions.
3 to 31/2 c. stock of your choice.

Arrange oven rack 6 inches under element.
Cut red peppers into quarters, and remove seeds, place cut side down on baking sheet. Peel and quarter onions also place on baking sheet. Peel garlic and also put on baking sheet. Roast until skin of peppers in chard and. I use a non-stick baking sheet and skip the oil. Let cool. Peel the chard skin off the red peppers, place in blender along with the onions and garlic. Put in pot and add stock until desired consistency. Red peppers and red onions make a naturally sweet-tasting soup, sugar may not be needed.* Heat through, whisk in sour cream or dollop on top for serving.Garnish with basil or parsley.

A great source of fibre. Freezes well without sour cream.

Soup de jour

2009-01-16T17:30:00.000-08:00

O.k. today I used my stock to make Leek and Potatoe Soup, it was delicious. It's an old Milk Calender Recipe I believe 1986. I reduce the fat by using skim milk, and a Teflon pan to saute my leeks. I didn't add the mushrooms today, (just forgot to buy them). We gobbled it up. My family continued with a second course but I was good and just had the soup and my yogurt.

So you use the leeks white part only, chop it up and saute in a Teflon pan,
or in the microwave with a little stock. Until translucent.

Blend them up, add to stock.

Meanwhile, peel and cook 3 medium potatoes, mash and add to stock.

When thoroughly heated, whisk in 1/4c. skim milk.

I used about 4 leeks, 3 med. potatoes and 4cups stock. If you plan on adding mushrooms about 1/2 lb. will do they do need to be fried, so once you have finished with the saute of the leeks add the mushroom, you may need to add some butter/margarine to brown them well. I skipped this today as we are watching our fats. This is really good with some grainy bread and a large salad.

Saturday soup, that we eat on Sunday and again throughout the week.

2009-01-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

Usually on Saturday I make a giant pot of "Rosol" Chicken soup. I then clean it up removing the chicken bits and vegetable (I don't serve these other than the carrots, because I think they tasted used). I serve it once with noodles and the remainder gets used as a good strong stock in other soups. It seems like a lot of work, but trust me once you get it going you can go watch a movie, turn it off when the movie is over and watch Saturday night live (while you're waiting for your kids to come home from "their social life") and then stick it into the fridge before you go to bed. Or train your kids, like I did, to stick it in when they come home. A large post-it note, the exhaust fan and light over your stove top going is a great reminder.

Mature hen for stock (gizzards remove and don't use)
1 piece of beef shank, not too fatty, with bone in. (do not cut up)
3 or 4 stalks of celery
2 onions
the green part of the leek (reserve white part for leek and mushroom soup)
2 carrots
parsley and/or dill.*
2 tbsps. Vegeta if desired.(available in the spice section of your grocers)

Wash the meat and put in a 3quart pot to boil, or a size big enough to acomodate you meat covered with water and a little room at the top for boiling. Fill another large stock pot, as big as you have, with water and bring to a boil. When your pot with the meat boils there will be some impurities from the meat. Drain, wash the meat again and then put it into the larger pot. I have a cast iron frying pan that I use for this next step, but any thick bottom pan will do. I blacken the onions (peeled) No oil or grease of any kind, just put the onion cut into quarters into the pan at a high temperature and blacken it on all sides. Then into the stock pot. Add the remainder of ingredients except Vegeta, and cook on med/low for about 3hrs. (covering the pot will reduce the evaporation) Add salt and pepper to taste. If your chicken was a truly mature one, your soup will be good and strong flavored and you may not need to add the Vegeta, otherwise add that at the end it tends to be quite salty so taste in between tablespoons. Cook noodles of choice separately serve strained soup with noodles. Strain remainder and freeze in appropriate portions for use later in the week. I usually do this on Saturday night (I have no life) and the house smells great while the soup is cooking. Makes a great Sunday lunch. Why do I serve this on Sunday? Well I always find that Sunday lunch has to be a rushed, (boys running off to work and all) So the soup has cooled overnight in the refrigerator and I have an opportunity to remove any fat from the top (it's all about reducing fat isn't it. I just heat up what we are going to use that day and then the rest gets divided into use able portion size. I'm usually too tired to do this late on Saturday. It's just me, you can eat it anytime you like.

smacznego or enjoy.

*One spring my mother fixated on "PARSLEY".Her mobility was already somewhat compromised and the dementia obviously was in it's beginning stages. All 5 of us, her children, and her two friends were sent on these missions to find just the right parsley plant for her garden. And then of course we had to plant them. She ended up with about 1,000 different varieties of parsley, still not the right ones. I was so ticked off that I boycotted parsley, and didn't use it in my soup for a very long time. Then when her diet became just soups I tried to use everything I could think of to make her meals tasty and parsley was reintroduced. I had forgotten how much flavour it truly adds. But the soups were more than o.k. without it so...

What's on the menu today?

2009-01-09T07:01:00.000-08:00

Today being Friday, it must be fish. Salmon it is.

Honey and Curry Glazed Salmon

1/4c. honey 1tsp curry paste
Salmon filet enough for 3 people.

Combine the honey and curry paste and brush on the filet. Bake at 500 degree, yes 500 for 10 min. or until fork flakey. Serve with veg. or salad.

I use the filet with the skin and place in pan skin side down, then lift and the skin stays on the pan, eliminating any need for grease on the pan.
P.s. my husband hates curry but still loves this dish, it isn't as curry as you think it might be. curry paste is available in the spice section of most stores, lasts a long time in the refrigerator.
Enjoy.

Not an ounce off those hips today.

2009-01-08T18:34:00.000-08:00

Even though I moved all day, i didn't watch my food intake. I made pierogi tonight. It's my mom's birthday on Sunday so I thought I do pierogi for the buffet and today was my prep day. So Sasha and I sampled. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

The ten pound challenge

2009-01-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

Since I've taken on the ten pound challenge, with no promises, I feel like I need to share the recipes that I will be making, not all of them low cal. Here's a favorite of mine from the " Our Favorite Recipes" printed and compiled by the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Grimbsby Ontario. My friend Janice is a health care provider at this hospital and I received this cookbook from her as a gift. I have used it to death. I figure I can adjust the portion for myself without cheating my family of a tasty dish. It's a big recipe, but I make as many chicken pieces as I like and adjust the cheese slice to each piece, or to my diet, and then just use the can of soup and one box of stuffing mix. If you make it bigger do the same adjustment, more soup if necessary and another box of stuffing mix. A good potluck dish.

Janet's Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken 1 can (10oz.) cream of chicken soup
6 slices cheese (Swiss, mozzarella or cheddar) 1 box Stove Top stuffing mix

Preheat oven to 350F. Arrange chicken in pan. Place a slice of cheese on each piece. Spread undiluted soup over cheese and chicken. Prepare stuffing mix according to package. You may need to add 1/4c. extra water so stuffing is moist. Top casserole with stuffing. Bake uncovered for 1 hr. Chicken should be white without any trace of pink when pierced. *I cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes, this reduces the cooking time to about 45 min. and then I don't have to eat the whole breast. (just reducing some calories) Serve with a large green salad. I've also used mushroom soup, broccoli or asparagus soup in place of the cream of chicken. You can use the sodium reduced one successfully as well and as low a calorie cheese as you can find works too. Enjoy