Monday, August 9, 2010

Blueberry Muffins

1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
2 c. fresh/frozen (partially thawed) blueberries

Beat butter until fluffy. Add sugar and mix well. Stir in eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well. Stir in half the milk, then the rest of the flour, and then the remaining milk, mixing just enough to combine. Gently fold in blueberries. Fill 12 greased or lined muffin cups with mixture and bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes (until golden).

Friday, August 6, 2010

Peanut Butter Treats

Tastes like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

1/2 c. butter/hard margarine
1 c. smooth peanut butter
1 c. graham cracker crumbs
2 c. icing sugar
1 c. chocolate chips
3 tbsp. margarine

Heat (on low) butter and peanut butter in saucepan, stirring, until smooth. Add graham cracker crumbs and icing sugar; mix well. Press into ungreased 8x8 pan.

Heat and stir chocolate chips and butter in saucepan on low until smooth (or microwave, stirring every 30 seconds). Spread over top of peanut butter layer and let stand until set.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Quinoa Granola

Another Foodgawker find.

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup dry quinoa, rinsed and spread out to dry slightly
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, or a mixture)

Preheat oven to 300. In a large bowl combine oats, quinoa, almonds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds. Set aside.

Stir together applesauce, cinnamon, vanilla, and honey. Taste and add more honey or cinnamon as needed. Pour over oat mixture and stir to moisten all of the ingredients. Spread the mixture onto a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake for 40 – 50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until granola is golden and crunchy. Remove from oven and stir in dried fruit. Let cool before serving.

*Because of the quinoa, this granola is best for sprinkling on yogurt (or eaten some other way with a spoon) - it's just too fine and crumbly. I prefer to eat granola on it's own without a utensil, so I added close to half a cup of peanut butter and an egg white to the liquid ingredients. This held the dry ingredients together better, yielding more "clusters" vs. crumbs. Also, I discovered eating uncooked quinoa can give you a stomach ache if you don't drink any water with it. So be sure to drink up if you enjoy this granola!

Friday, July 30, 2010

Fast & Easy Pizza Crust

Another great recipe from "The Best of the Best."

3/4 c. warm water
1 tbsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 c. flour (white or whole wheat - both work well)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. yellow cornmeal
1 tbsp. olive oil
cornmeal to sprinkle

Preheat oven to 450F. Lightly oil a 12" pizza pan (or a rectangular cookie sheet for thin crust). In a small bowl, mix warm water, yeast and sugar together. Let sit until yeast activates, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt and cornmeal. Add yeast mixture and olive oil and knead to a smooth dough, about 10 minutes (I only have the patience to knead for 5 minutes, and it still turns out okay). Sprinkle a work surface with cornmeal and roll dough into a 13" circle and place on pizza pan. Crimp edges and add your favourite toppings. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Makes one 12" pizza. (We like our pizza crust a bit crispy, so we bake the crust on it's own for 7-8 minutes first - gives us time to prep our toppings - and then cut down a little on the baking time after the toppings are added).

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Fettuccine Primavera

2 chicken breasts, cubed (optional)
2 tbsp margarine (we use olive oil)
1 garlic clove, minced
3+ c. chopped veggies, such as broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
1 c. milk
1 can broccoli & cheddar soup
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
3 c. cooked fettuccine noodles (we use whole wheat spaghettini)

In a large fry pan or wok, stir-fry the chicken, oil and garlic until meat is cooked. Add veggies; continue to stir-fry for several minutes until veggies are tender-crisp. Stir in milk, soup and cheese. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over pasta.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets, blanched
1 medium head of broccoli, cut into florets, blanched
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 c. bacon bits
1 c. mayo
1 tsp. mustard

Toss cauliflower, broccoli, onion, cheese and bacon bits in a large salad bowl. Mix mayo and mustard. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Energy Bars

One of the many great recipes I've stumbled upon since discovering foodgawker.com. This was originally posted as a vegan recipe, but not being a vegan I just exchanged a few of the ingredients for what I had on hand. This is my adapted version.

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup raisins (or any other dried fruit)
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp ground flax seed + 6 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flax seeds and water, then set aside. Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, then stir in raisins and chocolate chips. In a separate bowl, combine syrup, sugar and peanut butter. Mix until smooth. Combine nut butter mixture with flax seed/water mixture and stir. Add wet to dry ingredients and mix well. The mixture will be dry, but keep stirring. Press mixture into a sprayed 8×8 baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow pan to cool slightly before cutting into bars. (I also added 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts and some wheat germ, as I found the batter to be very moist; it still turned out great - soft & chewy. You could easily increase the flax seed as well).

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Sour Cream Cheddar Biscuits

2 c. flour
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp margarine or butter
1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
3/4 c. milk
1/3 c. sour cream

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together. Add margarine and blend well with pastry blender until mixture is fine crumbs. Add the cheese, ensuring that it is evenly distributed. Add milk and sour cream all at once; stir. Either drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased baking pan or place on a floured surface, pat down slightly and cut. (We like to top with additional grated cheddar cheese.) Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Yeilds approximately 10 2" biscuits.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Baked Omelette

1 tbsp butter/margarine
1 c. cottage cheese
3/4 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 chopped tomato
3/4 tsp dill
1 tsp parsley
salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp flour
4-6 eggs, slightly beaten
chopped/diced ham (optional)

Melt butter in pie plate. Mix together all the ingredients. Pour into pie plate; bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes (or 10-15 minutes in the microwave).

Variation: red pepper, spinach and feta instead of tomato and cheddar.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Pizza Calzones

This meal is just the kind we'd have growing up, on a Saturday night, when my mom would be busy getting us all bathed and ready for church the next morning. Sometimes the quick, simple Saturday night dinners were our favourites!

2 cans crescent roll dough
1 can pizza sauce
pizza toppings
shredded cheese

Unroll one can of crescent roll dough onto a baking sheet, closing up any gaps in the dough. Spread pizza sauce over dough. Top with your favourite pizza toppings, and then top with cheese. Unroll another can of crescent roll dough over top of fillings, again closing any gaps by pinching dough together. Pinch edges closed with a fork. Bake at 375 for 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into individual portions and serve.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Speedy Chicken Stir-Fry

300 gr. angel hair pasta or spaghettini
2 c. broccoli florets
1 lb. chicken cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 c. Asian Sesame salad dressing (I use almost double)
2 tbsp. soy sauce (again, almost double)
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/3 c. chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 minutes. Meanwhile spray large non-stick skillet or wok with cooking spray; set to med-high heat. Add chicken and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing, soy sauce, and spices; cook one minute. Drain pasta & broccoli, and place in large serving bowl. Add chicken mixture and toss lightly. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve. (Snow peas, bell peppers and carrots also go well in this stir-fry).

Monday, July 12, 2010

Classic French Potato Salad

3 lb. small new potatoes
1/2 c. Kraft Classic Herb dressing (balsamic vinaigrette works well, too)
1/4 c. beef broth (or 1/2 packet of bovril powder mixed with water)
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 green onions, chopped
fresh ground pepper

Cook potatoes until just tender; drain. Halve (or quarter if using larger potatoes) cooked potatoes. Combine remaining ingredients. Toss with hot potatoes. Serve hot or cold. Keeps up to 3 days in fridge - tastes best the day after it's made.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Lettuce Wraps

1 lrg head iceberg lettuce
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. fresh minced ginger
1 tsp. fresh minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot, finely diced or shredded (matchstick carrots work well)
1 small onion, finely diced
1 1/2 c. steam fried noodles
hoisin sauce

Cut across lettuce back from core. Fill sink with cold water. Push lettuce up and down in the water until lettuce leaves separate. Gently pull leaves away from core one at a time. Each leaf will form a natural cup. Remove leaves from water and dry. Stir-fry beef, garlic and ginger for 3-5 minutes. Add peppers, carrots and onion. Cook until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and stir in noodles (should remain crunchy). Generously spread hoisin sauce inside lettuce leaf cup. Add in a serving of beef mixture, wrap up the leaf and enjoy!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

California Salad

Salad:
1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and torn
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 pkg. of corn chips

Dressing:
1 ripe avocado
1/2 c. mayo
1 tbsp. of lemon juice
1/4 c. oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp. tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp. salt

Assemble the first three ingredients of the salad. Mix all dressing ingredients in a blender except the lemon juice. Mix well, then stir in the lemon juice. Pour over salad just before serving. Add corn chips and shredded cheese, then toss and serve. (Add a grilled chicken breast to make it a meal).

Friday, July 2, 2010

Cheese & Broccoli Dip

An appetizer recipe I got from a friend... My favourite way to eat broccoli!

2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 c. parmesan
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp. finely chopped onion
2 c. broccoli
4 tbsp. finely chopped red pepper
1 c. mayo
1 c. sour cream

Cook broccoli; chop into small bite-sized pieces. Mix together with the rest of the ingredients and spread into shallow casserole dish. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Serve warm with tortilla chips, baked pita triangles or raw veggies. (You can use up to half a cup less of mayo if you're trying to watch calories - the dip will still turn out just fine).

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

From "The Best of the Best."

6 small corn or 3 large flour tortillas
1 onion, diced
2 tbsp. oil
4 oz. can green chilies, seeded & finely chopped (we use banana peppers)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 c. grated cheddar cheese
2 c. grated mozzarella cheese (or monterey jack)
1 c. salsa
3-4 c. cooked chicken cut into bite-sized pieces

Cut each tortilla into large bite-sized pieces. Saute onion in oil; add chilies, soup and half the grated cheeses. Cook slowly until cheese melts. Line a greased 1 1/2 quart (1.5L) casserole dish with half the tortilla pieces. Cover with 1/2 c. salsa. Layer with half the chicken, then half the cheese sauce. Repeat layers. Top with the remaining grated cheeses. Bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serves 6.

*I like to add in my own layer of chopped bell peppers, corn and black beans to up the nutritional value and serve with fresh chopped tomatoes, lettuce and sour cream.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Tuna & Pasta Cheddar Melt

This is my go-to recipe when I can't come up with any ideas for dinner. It's quick, easy and all the ingredients are usually well-stocked in my cupboards.

1 can chicken broth
1 soup can water
3 c. uncooked corkscrew pasta (I use whole wheat)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. milk
1 can tuna, drained and flaked (I use two cans)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tsp. butter/margarine, melted

Heat broth and water to a boil over high heat in medium skillet. Add pasta and cook covered until just tender, stirring often. Do not drain. Add soup, milk and tuna. Top with cheese. Mix bread crumbs with butter and sprinkle on top. Heat through and serve.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Red Pepper Sauce

From "The Best of the Best" (of the Bridge Series) cookbook.

3 tbsp. olive oil
3 red peppers, cut into 1/4" pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 c. chicken broth
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. sugar

In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook red peppers, onion, garlic, basil, pepper and salt, stirring often, for about 10 minutes or until onions are softened. Add tomatoes, broth, vinegar and sugar; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

You can serve the sauce as is (goes great over gnocchi or pasta with a little freshly grated parmesan)... But we like to puree the peppers and tomatoes after it's simmered. We use a handheld blender and do it in several batches or you can pour the whole thing into a food processor. Then stir the pureed veggies in with what's left in the pan and serve.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Spicy Island Shrimp

1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 c. butter/margarine
2 1/4 lbs. uncooked shrimp
2 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce
3 tbsp. chopped green onions
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. each salt & pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4-1/2 tsp. white pepper
14/-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
hot cooked rice

In large skillet saute green pepper and onion in butter until tender. Reduce heat; add shrimp. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, green onions, parsley and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 20 minutes (until slightly thickened). Serve over rice.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Udon Noodles

Great stir-fry recipe I got from a good friend (and great cook!).

1 tbsp. sesame oil
3 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 1/2 c. stir-fry beef (or pork or chicken)
4 c. chopped bok choy
2 c. bean sprouts
1 1/2 c. sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp. soya sauce
2 tbsp. oyster sauce
400 g. udon noodles

Fry oils in a wok with ginger and garlic. Add beef and stir-fry until meat is fully cooked. Add veggies and cook until soft. Add sauces, and then noodles; stir to coat noodles with sauce. Cook 5 minutes. Serves 4-6.

*Other veggies I've thrown into this stir-fry successfully are carrots, baby corn, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and bell peppers.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Monte & Marina's Quinoa Salad

We were getting ready to barbecue steak for dinner yesterday, with leftover quinoa as the side dish. At the last minute I decided I wanted to make it into a salad, so Monte gave me some tips and this is what we came up with...

1/2 c. quinoa, rinsed
1 c. chicken or vegetable broth
2 tbsp. lime juice (or lemon, if that's what you have)
2 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
pinch of cayenne (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
1 c. black beans
1 c. corn
1 c. diced red bell pepper
1/2 c. chopped cucumber

Cook quinoa in broth (we add a little salt, white pepper & garlic powder for extra flavour) for 15 minutes. Whisk together lime juice, vinegar, oil, cumin, chili powder, cayenne and s&p. Pour over cooked quinoa and stir in beans. Refrigerate while prepping the veggies; stir in chopped up veggies and refrigerate for at least an hour, until cold. Makes 4 or 5 servings. (We didn't have any on hand, but thought that some fresh cilantro would have gone great in this as well).

Monday, June 7, 2010

Thai Chicken Pizza

This is one of our family's all-time favourite meals. From Sandi Richard's "Cooking for the Rushed: The Healthy Family."

1 tsp. olive oil
1 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 tsp. Mrs Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning
1/2 tsp. curry powder
3 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tbsp. water
1/4 tsp. cayenne (optional)
12" pizza crust
3 green onions
6 mushrooms
1 c. grated low-fat mozza cheese
1 c. bean sprouts

Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat oil in small nonstick fry pan or wok at med-high. Cut chicken into small bite-size pieces and add to pan as you cut. Toss until chicken is no longer pink. Sprinkle with spicy seasoning and curry powder and set aside.

Soften peanut butter in the microwave for approx. 15-25 seconds. Stir in soy sauce, water and cayenne. Keep blending with a fork/whisk until slightly runny; you may have to add a tiny bit more water. Spread sauce over pizza crust. Top with chicken (and sprinkle on some red pepper flakes or more Mrs Dash if you like it a little spicy). Wash and finely chop onion. Wash and slice mushrooms. Scatter both over pizza base. Top with mozza. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Then broil for a few minutes until cheese bubbles. Rinse bean sprouts in a colander under cold water. Pat dry in a paper towel. Sprinkle sprouts over top of pizza; cut into slices and serve.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Spaghetti with Chicken & Spinach

This is my own take on spaghetti - my attempt to make a healthier version.

1/2 c. chopped onion
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. extra lean ground chicken (or turkey)
1 tbsp. flour
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can chicken broth (or a cup of homemade stock)
1 bunch fresh spinach, chopped
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1 c. chopped red bell pepper
1 tsp. each oregano & basil
salt & pepper to taste
whole wheat spaghetti, cooked & drained

Heat oil and onion; add chicken and scramble-fry until meat is fully cooked. Sprinkle meat with flour and stir to coat. Add tomato sauce, broth, veggies and seasonings; cook stirring occasionally until veggies are tender and sauce thickens. Serve over spaghetti.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Homemade Mac 'n' Cheese

2 c. macaroni
2 c. shredded mozza or cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c. sour cream or plain yogurt
1 1/3 c. diced ham (optional)
1 c. cottage or ricotta cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook macaroni and drain.

In large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of the mozza/cheddar, sour cream, ham, cottage cheese, egg, salt and pepper. Add macaroni and mix well. Pour mixture into greased 8 inch square baking dish; sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese. Bake, uncovered, in 350 degrees oven for 30 minutes (until bubbly). Broil for 2 minutes or until lightly golden. Makes 4 servings.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

*Slow Cooker Recipe*

3 1/2 - 4 lb boneless pork shoulder roast, tied or netted
1 1/2 c. ketchup
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. dijon mustard
2 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. liquid smoke flavouring
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
sandwich buns

Place roast in slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients in large bowl. Pour bbq sauce mixture over roast. Cover & cook on low 8-10 hrs (or 4-5 hrs on high). Remove roast from cooker; shred meat with fork. Place shredded meat back in cooker. Stir meat to coat with sauce. Spoon meat onto sandwich buns and top with additional bbq sauce if desired. Makes 12 servings. (Leftover meat makes a great bbq pizza, or on top of nachos with corn, black beans and red bell peppers... and of course, cheese).