Chicks and Whisks

Seafood Chowder

2012-01-05T18:09:00.001-05:00

You know that Winter has arrived when temperatures dip to -25! With that comes the desire for wholesome warm meals. This chowder recipe is excellent - absolutely delish!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound sliced bacon
2 medium onions chopped
6 cups diced and peeled potatoes
4 cups of water
1 pound of each seafood you want to use cut into 1 inch pieces - we used lobster and halibut
1/2 cup of butter
4 teaspoons of salt
4 teaspoons of oregano
1/2 teaspoon of curry powder
4 cups of milk
1 can of evaporated milk

Directions:

In a large stockpot, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove and place on paper towel; reserve the drippings. Sauté the onions in the drippings until tender- add the potatoes and water; bring to a boil for 10 mins.

Add your seafood and cook for another 10 mins. Add the butter, salt, oregano, and curry powder. Stir in the milk and evaporated milk and heat through. You can garnish with the bacon or mix in and serve!

Perfect for a cold day - Enjoy!

LLW

Eyeballs and Brains

2011-10-31T09:25:00.010-04:00

This is a great recipe any day of the year but adding an olive to the top of the meatballs makes it a fun and festive way to have a Halloween dinner! Eyeballs and Brains is healthy and delicious!

The Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground turkey (could use ground chicken)
1/4 cup pesto
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups spaghetti sauce (jarred or homemade)
Spaghetti Noodles

Cooking It Up:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a baking dish with non stick spray and dump the spaghetti sauce into it.
Place all of the other ingredients into a bowl and using your hands, combine until everything is well mixed.
Roll mixture into balls and drop them into the sauce.
To make them look like eyeballs: Press one black or green olive slice into the top of an uncooked meatball. Make sure the olive is secure (I didn't push them into the meatball enough and a lot of them fell off while cooking). Place olive side up in sauce.
Cover the baking pan with foil and bake until meatballs are no longer pink and are firm to the touch, about 20 minutes.
Cook spaghetti noodles while the meatballs are baking.
Serve meatballs (eyeballs) over cooked spaghetti (otherwise known as brains!).

Happy Halloween!!

Donair Wraps

2011-10-18T18:40:00.007-04:00

We grew up in the Maritimes where donairs seem to be a common thing. They are delicious and sold at many restaurants and pizza joints. They are not as popular where we live now but we still love them. Here is a healthier (and easier) version of a donair. So so yummy, and pretty close to authentic! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Donair:

1 pound of ground turkey
1 pound of ground beef (lean or extra lean)
4 tsp flour
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
dash of ground black pepper and salt
1-2 Roma Tomatoes (they have less juice and pulp which makes them perfect for a wrap!)
1/2 yellow onion, raw and finely chopped
1 head of leaf lettuce
6 flour tortillas (or greek pitas)

Donair Sauce:

3-4 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp milk (I used skim)
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp white vinegar

Cooking It Up:

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Mix the meat and spices in a medium sized bowl. Mix with your hands for a full 4-5 minutes (or a food processor for 2-3 minutes). This is very important and will lend to the final consistency of the donair meat.
Form the meat into a narrow (1 1/2 inch height) and long loaf. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 55-60 minutes.
While the meat is cooking, make the sauce by mixing the ingredients together until no longer lumpy. Set aside in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Slice meat into thin slices, if you aren't serving it immediately out of the oven you can reheat the meat in a frying pan (a few minutes over medium heat).
Place the meat onto tortillas, top with diced tomatoes, diced onion, leaf lettuce, and a good amount of the donair sauce.

Serves 4-6.

Apple & Sweet Potato Beef Stew

2011-10-17T11:31:00.002-04:00

The Ingredient List:

1 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp water
2 cloves garlic (I use jarred minced garlic)
1 onion, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 lb lean ground beef
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cinnmon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes (optional)
1 Tbsp liquid honey
2 apples, peeled, cored, chopped
1 can (790 ml) diced tomatoes (do not drain liquid)

Cooking It Up:

Heat oil and cook garlic, onion, sweet potato and water, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
Add beef and cook 5 minutes.
Add spices and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes and honey, continue to cook and stir often for 15 minutes.
Add apples, cook an additional 10 minutes.

Serves 4-6. Enjoy!

Mulligawtany Soup

2011-10-11T11:50:00.003-04:00

There are a couple of great soup recipes that I have been making lately and freezing for my lunches. This one is definitely a favourite!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder - I use more, good to do it to taste.
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 apple, cored and chopped
1/2cup white rice
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half - cut into cubes
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch dried thyme
1/2 cup heavy cream, heated

Directions:

1. Saute onions, celery, carrot, and butter in a large soup pot. Add flour and curry, and cook 5 more minutes. Add chicken stock, mix well, and bring to a boil. Simmer about 1/2 hour.

2. Add apple, rice, chicken, salt, pepper, and thyme. Simmer 15-20 minutes.

3. Just before serving, add hot cream.

4. Also, before serving; place 1/2 cup of cooked rice in the bowls, then top it with the soup!

Enjoy!

Italian Herb Bread - Breadmaker Recipe

2011-10-08T19:11:00.004-04:00

This recipe yields one 1.5 lb loaf.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup water (between 115-125 F)
1/4 cup skim milk powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cups all purpose or bread flour (leveled even cups!)
2 tsp dried minced onion
2 tsp italian seasoning
3/4 tsp bread machine or instant yeast

Directions:
1) Measure ingredients into your baking pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Insert pan into it's chamber.
2) Select French Cycle.
3) Enjoy!!

Tip: If you like a softer crust, seal the bread into an airtight plastic bag while it's still hot!

Old-fashioned Popcorn Balls

2011-10-01T23:06:00.002-04:00

These are a family tradition; I remember being at my grandfather's at Christmas time and enjoying these; as well my cousins and I made these as favors to hand out at my grampy's 90th birthday party. They are old fashioned; and if you don't like molasses you won't enjoy these - but for most, they are amazing!

Ingredients:

2 quarts popped popcorn
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Place popcorn in a large bowl and set aside. Two microwave bags work well for a batch. Make sure you remove the unpopped kernels.

In a heavy saucepan, combine molasses, sugar, water, vinegar and butter. Cook, without stirring, over medium heat until the mixture hairs.

Add baking soda, stirring, remove from heat and immediately pour over popcorn. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until well coated.

When cool enough to handle, coat palms with butter and quickly shape into balls. Enjoy!

Freezes well.

LLW

Waffles

2011-09-26T11:22:00.002-04:00

An easy and quick waffle recipe, sure to please everyone! I try and make batches to freeze; 20 will fit into a large ziplock (of the size that my waffle maker does them- yours may be different).

Ingredients:

2 eggs
3/4 cup of milk
2 tbsp oil
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs until thick, add milk and oil. Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour 1/3 cup of batter into the center of the hot waffle plate. Cook following directions of your waffle iron. Yields 6 waffles on my iron.

Enjoy!

LLW

Cabbage Roll Casserole

2011-09-21T11:44:00.002-04:00

This is a great dish; if you love cabbage! Also, quick and easy!

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef
1 chopped onion
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
1 tablespoon of Worcester Sauce
1 can of Campbell's soup (Heinz does not cut it)
1 cup of water
3/4 cup of instant rice
3-4 cups of coarsely cut cabbage
Cheese to top

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit.

Brown the hamburger, add the onions, salt, pepper, garlic powder and worchester sauce while cooking.

Once cooked, add the soup, water and rice - mix well.

Place the cabbage in the bottom of your baking dish and pour mixture over top. Top with grated cheese. Bake for 30 minutes and voila!

Curried Mussels

2011-09-16T17:37:00.003-04:00

Ingredients

1/4 cup minced shallots (or sweet yellow onion finely chopped)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 pound of mussels - cleaned and debearded
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons minced parsley
2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Cooking It Up:

In a large saucepan, cook shallots and garlic in simmering wine until translucent.
Stir in cream and curry powder. When sauce is heated through, add mussels. Cover, and steam mussels for a few minutes, until their shells open wide. With a slotted spoon, transfer steamed mussels to a bowl, leaving the sauce in the pan. Discard any unopened mussels.
Whisk butter into the cream sauce. Turn heat off, and stir in parsley and green onions. Serve immediately.

Serves 2-3

Mosaic Dip

2011-09-13T17:46:00.008-04:00

This is a Moxie's restaurant copycat recipe. It is SO good!! Hubby and I are both huge fans of this dip and order it whenever we have a date at Moxie's, so we decided to try making it at home!

The Shopping List:
1 tomato, chopped up (or a half a container cherry tomatoes)
2 garlic cloves, crushed (I use jarred)
1/4 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups mushrooms, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup goat cheese (or a bit more if you LOVE it the way we do!)

Mix the tomatoes, garlic, onion and pinch of salt in a small baking dish (8x8 or a bit smaller). Make sure you finely chop each ingredient. That's your first layer. Set aside.

Add the olive oil to a frying pan and cook mushrooms about 5-10 minutes or until tender. Add the soy sauce. Turn off your stove and add the cream cheese.

Spread the mushroom mixture on top of the tomato mixture. Top with the goat cheese (crumble on top)

Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for about 15 minute. Remove and serve with warm naan bread or pita.

Makes 2-4 servings

Bloomin' Pizza Bread

2011-09-11T11:37:00.002-04:00

This is a take on the Bloomin' Onion Bread; also found via The Girl Who Ate Everything. If you like pizza, you will enjoy this - a different option; and an easy finger food that is great for movie night!

For the ingredients, use your favourite pizza toppings - have fun with it!

Ingredients:

1 round loaf of sourdough bread
Mozzarella cheese thinly sliced
Turkey pepperoni
Onions thinly sliced
Green pepper thinly sliced
Mushrooms thinly sliced
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Parmesan cheese
Marinara sauce for dipping

Directions:

Slice the bread lengthwise and crosswise; without cutting all the way through.

Put thin slices of mozzarella cheese and the other ingredients in between the slits; place on foil and pour butter, garlic powder and italian seasoning mixture over top. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 15 mins; then uncover and cook for another 5 mins depending on your oven, until the cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

LLW

Apple Crisp

2011-09-08T20:24:00.005-04:00

Fall is in the air, no better time to pick apple's and make a warm and delicious apple crisp!

Ingredients

5 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup white sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter, melted

Cooking It Up:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C).
Place the sliced apples in an 8x8 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1.5 tsp flour and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all.
Combine the oats, 1/2 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes.
Serve and Enjoy (with vanilla ice cream if desired!)

Nutritional Information

Servings Per Recipe: 6

Calories: 316,Total Fat: 8.4g, Total Carbs: 60.5g, Dietary Fiber: 3.3g, Protein: 2.4g

Lasagna Cupcakes

2011-09-07T17:51:00.002-04:00

This recipe was found via the girl who ate everything. I originally noticed it because the portions looked so cute; and for its simplicity. This recipe was easy to make and DELICIOUS! We were so happy that it was so tasty because it was so easy to prepare. Gotta love when a new recipe works out! :)

Ingredients:

Spaghetti sauce
Ground beef (or chicken)
12 wonton wrappers
Shredded mozzarella
Parmesan cheese
Ricotta cheese
Chopped onion
Chopped green pepper
Basil or oregano for garnish

Directions:

Spray muffin tins. Brown beef; season with salt and pepper - add chopped onion and green pepper.

Place wonton wrappers into muffin tins.

Begin layering - 1 tsp ricotta, some mozzarella, beef - press the meat mixture down, add the sauce then repeat.

Top with parmesan and mozzarella.

Bake at 375 for 18 minutes; garnish and enjoy!

LLW

Vermicelli Grilled Chicken

2011-08-28T09:08:00.002-04:00

My friend Natalie made this for me one night and it is now a definite go to! This is a very easy recipe; quick to prepare and so delicious!

Ingredients:

Chicken thinly sliced
Dried rice vermicelli
Crushed peanuts
Carrots
Bean sprouts
Lettuce
Cucumber
Hot sauce
Hoisin sauce

Marinade:

Garlic minced 1 teaspoon
1 tsp sugar
1 tablespoon chicken seasoning
Same of chili flakes

Directions:

Cook the chicken with the marinade in a fry pan.
Soak your vermicelli noodles for 20 minutes until soft then add to boiling water for one minute. These take no time to cook; also if you are going to have leftovers - refrigerate the noodles quickly to preserve them.
Prepare the base layer, and place on each plate - bed of lettuce, thinly sliced carrot sticks
some bean sprouts and thinly sliced cucumber sticks.
Top this with your noodles, chicken and your favorite hoisin sauce and if desired, hot sauce!

Enjoy!

LLW

Bloomin' Onion Bread

2011-07-14T18:19:00.002-04:00

We found this recipe today via The girl who eats everything, fantastic food blog! :). This bread did not disappoint and would be a great side to any pasta dish or just as an appetizer!

Ingredients:
Loaf of sour dough; or like round bread
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup chopped green onion
Poppy seeds (I forgot to pick these up at the store)
I used a pinch of garlic salt as well
Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:
Slice the bread lengthwise and crosswise; without cutting all the way through.
Put thin slices of cheese between the slits; place on foil and pour butter, onion and garlic salt mixture over top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 12 mins; then uncover and cook for another 5 mins depending on your oven, until the cheese is melted.
Enjoy! It is delish!

LLW

Taco Crescent Casserole

2011-03-10T09:47:00.000-05:00

I found this idea via the internet one day, I can’t recall where now, but I had some crescent rolls to use up and was looking for a different recipe that I hadn’t tried – this worked; and was delicious – tastes just like a taco!

Ingredients:

Ground beef

Chopped green pepper and onion

1 package taco seasoning

3/4 cup water

8 ounce can of crescent rolls

1 cup shredded cheese

Chopped lettuce

Diced tomato

Shredded cheese

Sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Brown ground beef and add green pepper and onion you could add beans or rice as well). Stir in seasoning mix and water. Simmer while preparing crust.

Place half of dough on bottom of pan, and press so that it covers an inch up the sides of the pan. Spread hot meat mixture over the dough and use the remaining dough to cover the top – pressing edges together to close.

Sprinkle the top with cheese and bake for 20 minutes.
Top just like you would a taco with lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream!

Enjoy!

Grampy's Homemade Turkey Soup

2011-03-07T13:16:00.001-05:00

When we were little and visiting our grandparents we loved this soup and left their home with ice cream buckets full of it; there were 4 of us and it never lasted very long, we all loved it so much! Luckily my grandfather made a lot and froze it; so there always seemed to be lots to go around. ;)

My mom then started making it; but, since she spends the wintertime in Florida, I ventured this year and made it myself. It was incredibly easy and now that I know it’s so easy – I will definitely be making it more often for sure! Plus, it freezes well, so you can always take some out at a later date when you are looking for some comfort food on a cool night. It’s a fantastic hearty soup – delish!

Ingredients:

Broth from cooking Turkey (some but not too much fat in the broth)

Chicken Bouillon

Salt and Pepper

Turkey

Carrots

Celery

Turnip

Cabbage

Potatoes

(It doesn’t take many vegetables – a little goes a long way!)

Directions:

Grind or grate your veggies; I used a small food processor and it worked perfectly; but if you don’t have one you can grate them – a longer process but works. Then add these to your stock, as well as, Bovril or Watkin’s chicken bouillon and lots and lots of salt and some pepper.

You want to add your meat close to the end, if you add it too soon, then it will disintegrate and become mushy. It takes a long time for a good sized soup to cook. Use your judgment but a couple hours or more is perfect.

Enjoy!

A delicious twist to the everday Egg

2011-03-04T11:07:00.002-05:00

This is just a fun way to fancy up your breakfast – and add a little vegetable to your meal, which is always a good and healthy option.

You can mix the egg and cook it like you would an omelette – add some veggies to the mixture. Top the end result with your favourite shredded cheese, bacon bits, pepper, hot sauce etc.

Ingredients:

Eggs or Egg whites

Onion ring or Pepper ring

Salt and Pepper

(Omelette option: Mushroom, green pepper, onion, ham etc. chopped up.)

Directions:

Place your veggie in the pan; crack your egg and drop it in the center and cook as you normally would (if you are doing the mixture – mix separately in a bowl and pour into center of the veggie ring; flip and cook the other side after a few minutes – top with some favourites and voila!

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Buns to share

2011-03-01T17:56:00.003-05:00

I found this recipe idea via Pioneer Woman; it's an easy recipe and a great way to share a sweet treat with friends, family or a neighbour! It makes enough for 7 tins of 5-6 buns a tin and they freeze well also. If you are making them in advance - then at the time you need an impromptu thank you or other, then you can simply pull it from the freezer and give to that special someone.
You could also find heart shaped tins and give these away at Valentine's or make a special label, add a cute ribbon etc. There are all kinds of creative ways to give this sweet treat to someone you love!
We had some family in helping us paint our home, so it was a perfect opportunity to give some of these away to them and have them at the house for snacks while they worked.

Ingredients:

1 quart Whole Milk
1 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Sugar
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
Plenty Of Melted Butter
2 cups Sugar
Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon

MAPLE FROSTING:

1 bag Powdered Sugar
2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
1/2 cup Milk
1/4 cup Melted Butter
1/4 cup Brewed Coffee
1/8 teaspoon Salt

Directions:

Mix together the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour.

When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute.

Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

When you are ready to prepare the rolls, sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape.

Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.

Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 375 degrees until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls.
Enjoy!

Garlic Alfredo Sauce

2011-02-27T11:37:00.000-05:00

I will never be buying Alfredo Sauce at the grocery store again! This recipe is incredibly easy and restaurant quality goodness. MS orders Chicken Alfredo on a regular basis when we go out to eat and he and I both loved this! And so easy!

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic – finely minced
1/2 a package of cream cheese - soft and cut into cubes
1 cup of milk
4 oz parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan; add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add cream cheese stir with a whisk until smooth. Add milk a little at a time; stir in parmesan cheese and pepper.

Season with salt – the sauce should thicken quickly – Enjoy!

Found via Tasty Kitchen.

Hawaiian Pork Chops

2011-02-25T11:10:00.003-05:00

I found this recipe via Tasty Kitchen; and it turned out great - and is paired very nicely with rice! I was looking a different way to prepare pork chops, I'm not a huge fan of them myself, but this recipe made me like them a little more!

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
6 pork chops
1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of ketchup
1/4 cup of vinegar
1/4 cup of soy sauce
1 can of crushed pineapple

Directions:

Mix salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a bowl – season both sides of the meat and place in a casserole dish.

Mix the sugar, ketchup, vinegar and soy sauce in a bowl – pour over the pork chops.

Pour the crushed pineapple (including juice) over the top of the chops.

Cook for 45 minutes @ 350.

Enjoy!

Pancakes

2011-02-15T11:24:00.001-05:00

This is a great pancake recipe that I found on Justjennrecipes. It's very versatile in that you can spice it up or leave it traditional. I made them on Valentine's Day and added some melted chocolate to some of them, just a little piece of heaven inside! :)

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 cups milk
Nutella or melted chocolate chips (you can use white chocolate, Reese’s chips etc. for a twist)

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add an egg and the milk, stir until the mixture is just combined.

Make pancakes as you normally would, then place a dollop of nutella or melted chocolate in the center, top this with a little more batter to form a pocket.
Once the bubbles start to pop and the bottom is browned, carefully flip the pancake over and ta da!

A great Valentine ’s Day treat for breakfast – I used a heart shaped cookie cutter to shape these.

You can also place some strawberries, or blueberries in the middle in lieu of the chocolate mixtures.
Enjoy!

Maple Pecan Pie Bites

2011-01-24T08:43:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe via Tasty Kitchen and it was a ‘new’ and perfect addition to my Christmas baking this past Christmas. I love sugar, pie and shortbread is one of my favourite cookies, so I knew I’d love these – how can you go wrong? :)

Ingredients:

Shortbread crust

1 cup of flour
1/4 cup brown sugar packed
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into slices (shortbread you have to use butter)

Pecan topping

4 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon cream
1 cup of pecan pieces

Directions:

Crust: In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and salt. Cut in the cold butter with your fingers until crumbs form.

Spread into a greased 9 inch pan and bake a 350 until golden brown - approx. 20 mins. Remove and set aside.

Topping: In a saucepot, melt the butter. Add brown sugar, vanilla, maple syrup and cream – whisk well. Simmer for one minute while whisking continuously. Add the pecans and pour on top of the crust.

Bake for 20 mins at 350; remove from the oven and allow to cool and harden for 30 mins before cutting. Enjoy!

Lindsay's Baked Potato Skins

2011-01-22T07:53:00.003-05:00

We had some friends in one night for appetizers and drinks and a friend brought these and since then, they have been added to our list of favourites! They really aren’t very difficult to make and the spices add a delectable flavour that everyone will enjoy – they are as good as any you would buy out at a pub!

Ingredients:

5 baking potatoes, baked
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (can use ready crisp)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
4 green onions, sliced
1 tomato diced

Directions:

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; scoop out some of the pulp to thin them out, leaving about half in the shell and then cut into quarters.

Place potato skins on a greased baking sheet. Combine oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder, paprika and pepper; brush over both sides of skins.

Bake at 475 degrees F for 7 minutes on each side; may need to Broil them for a couple minutes.

Sprinkle bacon and cheddar cheese inside skins. Bake 2 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Top with sour cream, onion and tomatoes. Serve immediately.

BBQ Chicken Pita Pizza

2011-01-20T07:19:00.005-05:00

This is a great way to use your leftover chicken; my favourite way actually, and best of all it is incredibly easy, perfect for kids to help out with and delicious!

Ingredients:

Leftover chicken diced
Pitas
Your favourite BBQ sauce
Onion
Green pepper
Mushrooms
Shredded cheese to top

Directions:

Brush the pitas with the BBQ sauce, then place your toppings - diced chicken, onion, green pepper and mushrooms, then top with cheese.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes and enjoy!

Laura's Breakfast Burritos

2011-01-18T12:06:00.007-05:00

This is a perfect recipe for families on the go. Make a batch, freeze them in freezer bags and then microwave before heading out the door – a filling breakfast to keep you full and alert for your busy morning!

Ingredients:

1 dozen eggs
1/2 a package of bacon
1/2 a package of breakfast sausage
1 onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
2 packages of medium wraps
Shredded cheese
(the larger the family, you can double the recipe)

Directions:

Cook separately the bacon and sausage then set each aside to cool before cutting into small pieces.

Cook the onion and green pepper until softened, set aside.

Scramble the eggs with some black pepper; once they are cooked mix everything together in a large mixing bowl.

Lay the wrap on a flat surface, spoon some filling in and top it with shredded cheese. Fold like a burritos, wrap it in parchment paper, place in a freezer bag and freeze.

Add your favourite hot sauce after microwaving and enjoy!

Cheesecake Bars

2011-01-17T10:17:00.003-05:00

These are absolutely delicious and best of all, easy to make and there are always lots, so if you need something to take to a family potluck or work event, they are perfect! Just make sure to keep them refrigerated. I got the recipe off of a great recipe blog, Lick the Bowl Good.

Ingredients:

2 packages of cream cheese
2 tubes refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup of butter, melted
½ cup cinnamon sugar

Directions:

Using a greased 9x13 baking pan, unroll one package of crescent rolls. Line the bottom of the pan and flatten, pinching seams.

In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, sugar and extract. Mix until well blended. Spread this mixture over the crescent rolls.

Unroll the other crescent rolls and place on top of cream cheese mixture.
Pour one stick of melted butter over the top and sprinkle ½ cup of cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Allow to cool, and eat at room temperature or serve chilled. Refrigerate leftovers.

Sweet and Tangy Chicken

2011-01-14T09:59:00.003-05:00

(Oven or Slow Cooker Recipe)

This was actually a slow cooker recipe that I found in a taste of home magazine; but I made it using the oven and it is a new favourite in our house! I’ve been looking for re-vamped chicken recipes – chicken can be such a boring meat – this one works well.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion chopped
1.5 teaspoon minced garlic
2-4 chicken breasts or in a slow cooker you an even use a broiler/fryer chicken
2/3 cup of ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon each of chili powder and lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons cold water

Directions:

In a baking dish (or slow cooker), combine the onion and garlic; top this with the chicken. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, chili powder, lemon juice, basil, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Pour this over the chicken.

Cover and cook at 350 until cooked in the oven. In the slow cooker cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours until the chicken juices run clear. Remove the chicken and keep warm.

Transfer the juices to a saucepan, combine the cornstarch and water – stir into juices and bring to a boil for 2 minutes; until thickened.

Zippy Beef Bake

2011-01-09T10:15:00.001-05:00

This is an easy recipe! A night were you are stuck; and don't have any idea what to make and your groceries are dwindling but you have the staples; this is an easy but tastey bake!

Ingredients:

ground beef
broccoli (could use zucchini, carrots etc. whatever you have in the fridge)
sliced mushrooms (or not)
chopped onion
1.5 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1.5 cups of cooked rice
1 can of chopped green chillies or jalapeno chopped to taste
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese (we used cheddar; but Monterey Jack would be good as well)

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook the beef, then add onions, mushrooms and vegetable. Stir until vegetables are tender.

Stir in the chili powder, salt and garlic. Then add the rice, chillies, sour cream and half the cheese.

Place in a greased baking dish; sprinkle remaining cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-22 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Bacon Cheeseburger Turnovers

2011-01-06T12:46:00.003-05:00

I believe I found this recipe on Tastey Kitchen; one of my favourite recipe sites. It turned out great and was really easy!

Ingredients:

1 package of puff pastry – will make four portions
Lean ground beef
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 cup of your favourite BBQ sauce (I used ½ cup and found it to be plenty – measure to your taste)
Chopped onion
Cooked bacon
1 cup of cheddar cheese shredded – can combine cheddar and mozza

Directions:

Cook the beef and bacon separately; put bacon aside and cut into small pieces.
Add onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and BBQ sauce to the beef – cook a bit longer.

Combine beef mixture and chopped bacon in a bowl.

Set out puff pastry and place some cheese on the bottom, then add 1.5 tablespoon of mixture in the center of the pastry, you can top it with more cheese then add the top pastry piece and close.

Place on a non-stick baking sheet and cook at 400 degrees for 15 minutes depending on your oven.

Molasses Krinkles

2010-12-21T10:39:00.001-05:00

A fun twist to the molasses krinkle cookie.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 whole egg
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk
bag of candy cane kisses

Directions:

Cream together your shortening and brown sugar. Add the molasses, egg, flour, baking soda, salt and spices - mix.

Roll dough into a ball and press with a floured bottom of a glass.

Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes. When you remove them from the oven place the candy cane kiss in the center - allow to set and harden. Enjoy!

Candy Cane Cookies

2010-12-15T14:23:00.000-05:00

When I was a child, my mom made cookies every Christmas just like these. Hers were covered in sugar and were a hard cookie. I had an ingenious idea to attempt these using a soft cookie recipe that I have made in the past, they turned out great. It is a basic white cookie recipe. They are incredibly cute and fun for kids. After making them it dawned on me that laying them in white chocolate and then into crushed candy canes would be even better! But, by this time, Christmas was over and the cookies were already eaten – so, this is my plan for next year’s batch – just to add some more pizazz! :)

Ingredients:

1 package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of powdered sugar
¾ cup of butter
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 ¼ cups of flour
½ teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon red food colouring

Directions:

Mix cream cheese, sugar, butter and vanilla with a mixer. Add the flour and baking soda – mix.

Separate dough into two equal portions. Add red food colouring to one half. Take a small amount of each dough roll a hand length – roll the two together and form the candy cane.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

After they cooked I sifted powdered sugar on top.

Oreo Cookie Balls

2010-12-07T12:42:00.005-05:00

We got this recipe from a friend a few years back and it is definitely a family favourite at Christmas time. Every year at Christmas, MS takes a plate full of treats to work and everyone always comments how great these are!

Ingredients:

Package of Oreo cookies
6 squares of Baker’s white chocolate
1 tablespoon of cooking oil
1 package of cream cheese

Directions:

Crush the Oreo cookies up finely and mix with cream cheese. Roll into balls and place on waxed-paper lined cookie sheet; refrigerate for one hour.

Microwave the baker’s chocolate and the cooking oil.

With a toothpick, dip the balls into the white chocolate mixture – place on a lined waxed paper cookie sheet – I sprinkle the tops with crushed Oreo’s to cover the hole. Then refrigerate to set the chocolate.

Norma's Peanut Butter Balls

2010-12-01T12:36:00.005-05:00

These are MS’s favourite at Christmas time; and a treat that we both grew up enjoying around the holidays – one of the old standards. Traditional but deliciously addictive!

Ingredients:

6 squares Baker’s chocolate (I use semi-sweet)
1 tablespoon of cooking oil
Chopped peanuts
1 cup of creamy peanut butter
1 cup of icing sugar
1 tablespoon of soft butter or margarine
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Directions:

Mix the peanut butter, icing sugar, butter and vanilla. Shape into balls and place on a waxed-paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Microwave chocolate and cooking oil; using a toothpick dip the balls in mixture and place on waxed baking sheet to dry. I sprinkle chopped peanuts on top to hide the toothpick hole. Refrigerate until chocolate is set.

Banana Boat Tortillas

2010-06-03T14:28:00.003-04:00

Usually when we go camping our standard snack is, of course, S’MORES! But, this time I was looking for something a little different, so I googled campfire recipes and I came across this delectable treat. I even read reviews where people stated their children liked these better than S’mores – and after trying them, I can see why – although S’mores are still a favourite!

So long as your children like Bananas, Chocolate and Marshmellows – they will love this! The chocolate was my favourite part; and MS loved the banana.

Ingredients:

Bananas
Marshmellows
Large Tortillas
Chocolate bar

Directions:

Place a tortilla flat and add slices of banana, pieces of marshmellow (1 marshmellow into two pieces works well), and squares of your chocolate bar along the center of your tortilla – fold like a fajita so the chocolate doesn’t run out the bottom after it is heated. Place this tightly in a foil packet – heat over your campfire for 5 mins; then unwrap to eat and enjoy! :)

Mojitos

2010-05-28T12:45:00.003-04:00

Summer is just around the corner! This is a perfectly drink to refresh you on a beautiful summer’s day! Plus it is cute and fancy enough looking that it will appear to be labour intensive; but it isn’t at all – this is a quick and easy drink to mix!

What you will need:

1 can Minute Maid Limeade
Club soda
White rum
Mint leaves; 6-8 per glass
Sugar

Directions:

First, remove 6-8 mint leaves and bruise with the underside of a spoon; place these in the bottom of your glass;
Then add lots of ice and a shot of rum;
Fill the glass ¾ full of limeade and top it up with ¼ club soda;
Stir in one teaspoon of sugar – mix and Enjoy!

Campfire Brie

2010-05-26T14:47:00.000-04:00

Tis the season for BBQ and campfires! We took a small trip this past weekend camping and before going I googled many a campfire recipe. We usually make s’mores, but I was looking to try something new. I actually found a handful of new recipes to try - all were really good too - here is one of them! :)

What you will need:

1 wheel of Camembert or Brie
¾ cup of maple syrup
¼ cup walnut or pecan halves
1 loaf of crusty bread – we used Foccacia

Directions:

1. Set the wheel of cheese in the middle of a good size sheet of tinfoil;
2. Poke holes or cut slits in the cheese – so that some of the maple syrup can soak in while it cooks – Pour only ¼ of the syrup onto the cheese along with ½ of your nuts;
3. Wrap it up tightly and place on the coals in your campfire;
4. Cut your bread while you wait;
5. After 5-10 minutes – depending on the heat of your fire; and the size of your cheese wheel – remove the cheese from the fire and add the remaining maple syrup and nuts – dip your bread and enjoy!

So good – and what a fantastic treat while camping!

Printable Chicks Recipe :

Muddy Buddies

2010-05-21T08:14:00.005-04:00

If you are looking for that quick chocolate fix; this a great snack! Plus, it is fast and easy!

*I usually halve this recipe; and it makes plenty for the two of us – or a perfect size for when friends come over, but if you are looking to make it and give some to friends/family or take it into work etc. you may want to make the entire batch.*

What you will need:

9 cups of Crispix cereal (American’s can use Chex)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup of peanut butter (I sometimes use Reese’s chips if I have them on hand and they work well)
¼ cup margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Measure cereal into a large bowl;
In a separate bowl, add the chocolate chips, peanut butter/or Reese’s chips and margarine. Microwave on high for 1 minute – stir until smooth; then add the vanilla – stir and pour over the cereal.
Stir the mixture until evenly coated with the chocolate mixture.
Then, place half of this mixture on a large piece of parchment paper – sprinkle with powdered sugar until nicely covered; then add remaining chocolate mixture on top of this and sprinkle with powdered sugar again until covered. Let this sit for a few minutes, then mix up the mixture and add more powdered sugar until covered nicely.
Place in an air tight container for storage or a nice serving dish if you can’t wait to eat it! :)

Printable Chicks Recipe :

Twice Baked Potatoes

2010-05-14T09:33:00.010-04:00

When I grew up; it seemed like in my family, at least, that suppers usually 9 times out of 10 consisted of meat, potatoes and vegetables. Often times we had frozen mixed vegetables, which to this day I cannot eat…..I didn’t like them as a child and still don’t enjoy them as an adult. But, nowadays, it seems people are getting more and more creative and diverse in their meal preparation. Twice baked potatoes seem to be a popular side dish right now (or even appetizer for some); and they definitely dress up an everyday meal or add a little ‘sparkle’ to a fancier dish.

I found this recipe on the kraft website – it’s a great site for easy meals; and I usually end up loving the finished product. These were no exception. The garlic cooking alone, smelled amazing! They were a bit complex the first time; and don’t seem to be nearly as pretty as some could make them I’m sure, but the flavour was really really good. MS and I are both potatoe lovers….add cheese, bacon and garlic into the mix – Heaven!

PS – I halved this recipe where it was just for the two of us and it turned out perfectly – and I wished that I had done the whole recipe so that we had leftovers!

What you will need:

1 head of garlic
1 tsp. oil
4 large baking potatoes
1 cup of light sour cream
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese – divided
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
4 slices of bacon, crispy, cooked, drained and crumbled (I just purchased the ‘real’ bacon bits and they worked perfectly)

Directions:

Preheat oven at 400F. Bake your potatoes normally, prick with a fork and place on an oven rack. Cut a thin slice off the top of the garlic head to expose the cloves. Place this on a sheet of foil, drizzle it with oil, wrap loosely and bake for one hour.

Cut the bottoms off of each potatoe – small slice. This will allow them to stand up for presentation purposes. Then when they are cooked you will cut them in the middle to scoop out the excess – centres. Place the potatoe flesh in a medim bowl to mash. Squeeze the garlic to get the cooked portion out – this will be really easy and it will come out right away. Add to the potoatoes. Then add your sour cream and 1 ¼ cup of cheddar and the parmesan cheese. Beat until fluffy, and then spoon this mixture evenly into the shells – mounding – use it all. Place them in a shallow baking dish.

Bake for another 30 minutes and then top them with the remainder cheddar and bacon; and then bake them for another 5 mins until the cheddar is melted and Enjoy!

Printable Chicks Recipe :

How to soften Brown Sugar

2010-05-07T09:05:00.004-04:00

Have you ever been all set to bake something really delicious; that you have been craving for the last couple days, and then go to make it – only to find that all of your brown sugar is rock solid? Ugh! – Or at least that’s what I used to say before I found this easy, simple trick that softens brown sugar in seconds!

All you need:

Small dish
Container with brown sugar in it – rock solid
Water
Microwave

Directions:

Place the brown sugar in its container in the microwave with beside it, a small bowl full of water.
Microwave both side by side for about 1 minute; be sure to check it – will crumble in your fingers when softened. The sugar can melt so do not leave it in for too long - the time in the microwave will depend on the quantity of rock solid sugar; if it is still hard after the minute, try another 30 seconds.
You can keep doing this until the sugar is soft.

Beware though – the sugar hardens again quickly (within a couple minutes); so be sure to soften it when you are ready to use it.

How to blanche Fiddleheads

2010-05-04T10:24:00.004-04:00

On the East; we have a wonderful little treasure that grows once a year in the springtime called Fiddleheads. They are available usually for a few weeks to a month; in May – and you can either pick them yourself on the riverbanks or purchase them at a roadside stand for $3.00 a pound in smaller Towns; and $4.99 a pound in large Cities.

Fiddleheads are a fern; and also known to some as the Fiddlehead Fern. You pick the heads as they just sprout up from their encasing – you don’t want the ones that are grown up tall; or almost a fern. The flavour is said to resemble asparagus, or green beans.

MS and I really enjoy fiddleheads and we usually go up to my parents place and my dad takes us down to his favourite spot to pick them. We usually end up with a full bucket; which for the two of us lasts a year. In order to keep them; you must blanche them first before freezing. If they are blanched and frozen you can keep them for up to 18 months in your freezer. It’s a fun family activity – and rewarding to have gone out and picked your own food!

What you will need:

Strainer
Pot
Large bowl
Ice
Cold Water
Large spoon with holes in it
Salt
Freezer bags
Timer/Watch

To blanche fiddleheads:

1. Firstly, you will need to clean the fiddleheads; this is a difficult task as they have a silky brown casing on them; similar to that in a peanut shell and this can be difficult to wash away. It is best to do this in a stream if possible, and then rewash at home.

2. Once this is done, boil a pot of water – with a dash of salt in it; once the water is boiling place some fiddleheads in the pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. Have a bowl full of very cold water and ice cubes ready in the sink – after the 2 minutes is over, scoop the fiddleheads out of the water and place in cold water. This will stop the cooking process. (You will notice that the fiddleheads have turned a lighter green shade; and your water will be black…do not be alarmed this is normal.) Disgard the water and start the process again.

3. Take the fiddleheads from the cold water and place in a strainer – after a few minutes in the strainer, place handfuls in a freezer bag – portion for the size of your family and then they are ready to freeze.

Fiddleheads are best boiled or steamed - served with vinegar, butter and salt and pepper! Enjoy!

Healthy Blueberry Banana Muffins

2009-09-14T15:03:00.008-04:00

These muffins are moist and delicious, the kids (and adults) love them for a quick healthy snack or breakfast.

The Grocery List

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 cup whole wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup natural wheat bran
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup reduced fat milk (whatever you have on hand, I use 2%)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries

Cooking Them Up:

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners (or spray with cooking spray).

In a bowl, whisk together the flours, wheat bran, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In another bowl, mash bananas with a fork; stir in milk and vanilla.

With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture to butter mixture, mix just until combined.

Fold in frozen blueberries

Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 22 minutes.

Let cool in pan 10 minutes; transfer muffins to a rack to cool 10 minutes more.

Makes 18 muffins.

Spinach and Feta Potaoes

2009-07-29T10:15:00.003-04:00

The Grocery List:

6 potatoes (about 5 lbs.)
1 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup light sour cream or regular sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 (10 ounce) package spinach, thawed and drained (or I buy the frozen spinach in the bag and use 4 or 5 pieces)
1 cups crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese or regular feta cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cooking It All Up:

Peel and cook potatoes. Mash with a potato masher. Stir in butter, sour cream, salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Combine the spinach, garlic and feta cheese. Make sure the spinach is thawed and as dry as possible.

Stir spinach mixture into potatoes.

Spoon into buttered dish swirling top slightly. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered until golden and a knife inserted in center feels warm, 35-40 minutes.

Makes 4 Servings.

Maritime Hodge Podge

2009-07-28T10:19:00.001-04:00

Love this time of year; and not only for the usual hot summertime weather (which we have not been experiencing this year) but also for the garden fresh vegetables that are available from our local vendors! Mmmm….mmm – I swear I’ve eaten $20.00 worth of fresh peas in the last two weeks by myself! So sweet and delicious! And I could consume a plate full of Swiss Chard every night topped with vinegar! Yum!

Hodge Podge may be known to some by a different name; but one thing is certain, it is a Maritime tradition in many homes.

(The key to this dish is the ‘garden fresh’ vegetables!)

Ingredients:

Potatoes
Carrots
String beans – yellow and green
Peas
Handful of flour
½ cup of cream and ½ cup of milk (can use milk only)
2 big (overflow a bit) spoonfuls (tablespoon size) of butter
Lots of pepper and some salt

Directions:

In a pot, place your cubed potatoes with just enough water to cover them; once they are getting soft; place your carrots in; then once these are almost cooked and soft add the beans, peas, milk and cream, lots of pepper and some salt, your butter and flour. (flour would be approx. ¼ cup…you can tell as your consistency should thicken a bit). Turn it on low and cook for 10-15 minutes more and then serve.

Leftovers are even better the following day! :)

Sticky and Sweet BBQ Shish Kabobs

2009-07-27T07:55:00.002-04:00

We tested out a new BBQ sauce, Bulls Eye – Sticky and Sweet; and it was soooo good!

MS learned about a new trick via the net; to place the slice of onion next to the steak; then as it marinates and cooks the flavor cooks into the steak – no idea whether or not it did work that way; but when you take the bite of steak with the onion..mouth watering! I also loved that we used orange and yellow peppers – they are really sweet and almost tasted like pineapple when you ate it with the chicken.

Ingredients:

Chicken and steak (can work with your meat of choice; or vegetarian style as well – add some zucchini and mushrooms)
Red, green, orange and yellow peppers cut into square chunks
Red onion - cut into square chunks

Directions:

Alternate the veggies with the meat choices on the skewers; place in a ziplock or Tupperware container to sit while marinating – 4 hours minimum;
To marinate we used the BBQ sauce noted above; some pepper and Montreal Steak Spice.

BBQ – approx 30 minutes and enjoy!

Canadian Flag Cake

2009-07-26T18:04:00.004-04:00

Happy (very belated) Canada Day! :)

I have been 'mia' from this blog for awhile now, and really have no good excuses; what can I say other than it's summertime and things are busy busy.

This Canada Day I made this cake to help celebrate the great day. It was delicious...but then again, what isn't with whip cream, strawberries and cake! Mmm...

A co-worker of mine found this recipe on the kraft website.

Ingredients:
1 pkg of pound cake, cut into 12 strips
2 cups of boiling water
2 pkgs of strawberry jello powder
3 cups of ice cubes
3 cups of sliced fresh strawberries
2 cups of thawed cool whip topping

Directions:
Cover the bottom of a 13x9 inch dish with the cake slices; set aside;
Add the boiling water to the jello powders in a large bowl; stir for 2 minutes until it is completely dissolved. Add ice cubes; stir 3 to 5 minutes or until jelly is thickened. Remove any unmelted ice. Stir in 1 cup of strawberries; pour over cake slices; Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Cover it with cool whip.

Refrigerate for 4 hours or until jelly is firm. Arrange remaining strawberries over the dessert to resemble the Canadian flag.
(to do this step, take toothpicks and place in an outlined shape of a maple leaf and place the strawberries within the toothpicked shape.)

Next time, I may even skip the jello portion of this recipe to speed the process up - because it would be JUST as delicious with or without it! :)

Quiche

2009-06-18T13:17:00.007-04:00

This recipe is so versatile and easy, it can be used as a nice brunch dish or a quick healthy supper dish. You can leave out or add any variety of ingredients so play with it and enjoy!

The Grocery List

9" unbaked pie shell
2 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked ham or chicken
2 cups shredded cheese of your choice (I love swiss!)
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup veggies (I like green onion, mushrooms, and peppers)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Cooking It All Up

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Put pie shell into your pie plate and coat the inside of it with 1 tbsp of the dijon mustard (this will help prevent the crust from getting soggy).

Place meat in bottom of unbaked pie shell and pack it down lightly.

Top with cheese.

Beat together eggs, onion, remaining mustard, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in milk.

Pour over meat and cheese layers in pie shell. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over surface.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until set.

Japanese Grilled Chicken & Basmati Rice

2009-06-09T11:22:00.006-04:00

This is another food network recipe. I find a lot of the recipes on the food network website to be too fussy and/or difficult for quick weeknight meals to feed my family. This is one that is easy, quick and really good!

The Grocery List:

1 x egg
1/2 tsp salt (2.5 mL)
1 tbsp paprika (15 mL)
1/4 cup honey (60 mL)
2 tbsp sesame oil (30 mL)
2 tbsp soy sauce (30 mL)
1 tbsp lime juice (15 mL)
12 to 16 boneless skinless chicken thighs (600 g)
1 1/2 cups basmati or jasmin rice (325 mL)
3 cups water (750 mL)

Cooking It Up:

In the morning or the night before…Stir together egg, salt, paprika, honey, sesame oil, soy sauce and lime juice in a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Add chicken, cover with plastic wrap and set in refrigerator.

Just before dinner…Mix rice and water in a large microwavable casserole dish with a cover. Microwave rice and water on high for 10 minutes and medium for 10 minutes. Let stand.

Heat barbeque to medium.

Place marinated chicken thighs on grill, brush as much of the marinade all over each as soon as you put them on the grill, then discard the remaining marinade.

Cook each side for 7 to 10 minutes or until juices run clear.

Beef Samosas

2009-06-04T13:23:00.005-04:00

Hubby and I love to buy samosas at the local market. This was my first attempt at making them from scratch. They turned out great and had just the right amount of spice! I made enough filling for two batches, froze half of it for another time and made 8 samosas with the remaining filling.

The Grocery List

1 package puff pastry, rolled out and cut into 8 squares
2 russet potatoes, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 regular carrot or 20 baby carrots, diced
1 lb lean ground beef
2tsp garam masala
1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp sweet chili dipping sauce
1 egg and 1tbsp water, beaten
paprika (optional)

Cooking It All Up

Preheat over to 400.

Brown beef. Cook potato, carrots and onion until soft. (I did both of these in the things in the microwave, it took about 13 minutes for the veggies and I hit the "ground beef" button for the beef, be sure to drain and rinse the beef a few times if you use this method).

Mix beef, veggies, garam masala, curry powder, garlic, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and sweet chili sauce in a large bowl.

Roll out your pastry and cut into squares. Fill each square with the beef mixture and fold over. I sealed the edges by pressing down with the tongs of a fork.

Brush each samosa with the egg wash and sprinkle with paprika.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Sweet Potatoe Coins

2009-05-26T08:24:00.002-04:00

This is by far the best way I’ve found to cook sweet potatoe fries; and it goes amazingly well with BBQ or for a snack/appetizer if you have some friends or family in!

Ingredients:

Sweet Potatoes
EVOO
Basil
Garlic salt
Pepper
Paprika
(Any spices you love will do! – I’ve heard of people using Cumin or Curry powder as well)

Place on a baking sheet and cook at 400 for 15 minutes a side; they may take a bit longer; but keep an on eye on them; they burn quickly. Let them sit for a few minutes and enjoy!

A dip that we love to have with them is a Chipolte Mayo dip. You simply put Mayo in a dish and add chipotle spice – mix well – to your taste..the more you use the hotter it will be. We usually put quite a bit; we like our spice. I also refrigerate it for 10 mins before serving.

Marinated Curry Dijon Chicken

2009-05-19T08:20:00.005-04:00

Whenever my husband brings this leftover chicken for lunch he gets asked for the recipe. I usually serve it with Basmati rice and broccoli but it's also great with mashed potatoes.

The Grocery List

14-18 boneless skinless chicken thighs (I use the "family pack" size from my grocery store)
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp flaked red chilies
1 tbsp onion flakes
1/2 cup dijon mustard
1/2 cup liquid honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp Asian chili sauce (found in the Asian Food Aisle)

Cooking It All Up

Unravel the chicken thighs and thoroughly rinse in water. Shake off excess water and place in a shallow baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine all of the other ingredients and stir to mix.

Pour sauce over chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours - the longer the better, I usually try to prepare this the night before.
When you are ready to cook it up, heat oven to 350F. Cook for 50 minutes, turn chicken half way through.

Side Dish Hint
If you would like to serve this with Basmati Rice, the easiest method is to use a large oven safe dish that has a lid. Add 2 cups of rice and 3 cups of water, cover and throw it in the oven next to the chicken. Leave it alone until the timer rings (50 minutes) and fluff with a fork.

Recipe adapted from Sandi Richard cookbook.

Chocolate Berry Trifle

2009-05-12T18:34:00.003-04:00

I challenge you to serve this and walk away from the table without a marriage proposal. It is that good.

The Shopping List

2 bags (260 grams) Two Bite Brownies, chopped
2 boxes of instant chocolate pudding or instant mousse mix, prepared
2 can of strawberry rhubarb (or any fruit variety you like) pie filling
1/2 container (8 oz) frozen whipped cream topping, thawed
1/2 pint fresh strawberries, sliced

Mixing It All Up

Chop the Two Bite Brownies into halves or quarters and layer half of them on the bottom of the trifle bowl.

Next layer half of your chocolate pudding or mousse mix.

Next layer 2 can of strawberry rhubarb pie filling.

Repeat the layers.

Top with whipped cream and sliced berries.

Enjoy!

The Hubby Burger

2009-05-04T19:43:00.009-04:00

I call this one the "hubby burger" because my husband declared it the best burger he ever had. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as he does (and I do!).

The Shopping List

Burgers

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
2 tbsp minced onion
1 tsp minced garlic (I used jarred)
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Montreal Steak Spice
2 shallots, diced

Burger Sauce

1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
hot pepper sauce (as much as you like, totally optional)

Cooking It all Up

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.

Divide mixture into 6 equal parts and form into burger patties.
BBQ over medium heat until you achieve your desired "doneness".

While the burgers are cooking up, you can make the easy peasy burger sauce. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and serve with burgers.

Easy isn't it? And just wait.....oh. so. delicious.

Taco Pizza Pocket

2009-05-04T18:00:00.005-04:00

This was a recipe that I invented out of necessity. I had ingredients in my fridge that needed to be used up before they expired and some left over cooked chicken. I was pleasantly surprised at how yummy it was and how my family gobbled it up, I'll definitely make it again!

The Shopping List

2 containers of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
1/2 of a 250g block of cream cheese, softened
1/2 package taco seasoning
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
1 plum tomato, diced
1/2 cup green onion, diced
Sour Cream and Salsa (optional)

Cooking It Up

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out one package of the Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, this will be the base of your pizza pocket.

Spread cream cheese over the base, top with chicken, tomato and green onion.
Roll out the other package of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, this is the top of your pizza pocket. Lay it over the "pizza" and seal the edges with your finger tips to form a sealed pocket.
Spray the top with olive oil spray and sprinkle on some more taco seasoning (this step is optional).

Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with Sour Cream and Salsa if desired.

Serves 4-5.

Fancy Chocolate Chip Muffins

2009-05-01T08:20:00.006-04:00

There is nothing my kids like more than helping me in the kitchen, especially when it involves making a yummy treat like chocolate chip muffins.

The Grocery List:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp natural wheat bran (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (I used 3/4 cup chopped chocolate that I had on hand)
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar

Baking It All Up:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin cups or use paper liners.

In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, bran, chocolate chips).
Add the wet ingredients (beaten egg, milk, and oil). Stir until batter is moistened.

Spoon batter into your muffin tins filling each one 3/4 full.
In a small bowl mix 1 tbsp of white sugar and 1 tbsp of brown sugar. This is the topping for your muffins and is what changes them from your run of the mill chocolate chip muffins into "fancy" muffins (at least that is what my 6 year old says). Sprinkle the sugar mixture over each muffin.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove promptly from pan.

Mexican Lasagna

2009-04-29T19:38:00.008-04:00

The Shopping List:

1 lb ground beef or turkey
2 cups of chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups green pepper, chopped
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup salsa
2 teaspoons cumin
1 (15 ounce) can mixed beans (or any variety you like, black or kidney work well) drained and rinsed
12 (6 inch) tortillas
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
2 small plum tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup green onion, chopped

Cooking It all Up:

Spray a large saucespan with no-stick spray. Brown beef or turkey.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add onions, garlic, and green pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, salsa, and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes.

Stir in beans. Remove from heat.
Spray a 13X9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Spread 1/3 of the mixture over the bottom. Cover with half the tortillas (0verlapping as needed), and half the cheese.

Spoon another 1/3 of mixture on top of cheese, followed by remaining tortillas, and last of the bean mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Cover and bake for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with tomato and green onions.

If desired serve with sour cream.

Chicks Note: You could make this a vegetarian meal by omitting the meat and adding an extra 15 oz can of beans!

Pasta Salad with Evoo and Balsamic Vinaigrette

2009-04-22T09:07:00.004-04:00

Spring time is here; we had an amazing weekend weather-wise and they are calling for even more incredible weather this upcoming weekend – unusually high temperatures of 22 and 24!! I am SO excited; but I don’t want to get my hopes up too high until I’m actually lying on the deck enjoying every moment!
Here is a nice and light pasta salad – that goes well alone or as a side. It’s perfect to take as leftovers in your lunch as well.

Ingredients:

¾ cup of EVOO
¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette
2 Tablespoons dried oregano
1 Tablespoon parsley
1 Teaspoon basil
1Tablespoon Parmesan
1 clove crushed garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste

Pasta of your choice; we had Rotini on hand;
Veggies of your choice; I used grape tomatoes, green pepper, red onion, and carrots. Cucumber is always good in pasta salad as well.
6 slices of bacon chopped.

(Chicken or shrimp would be a good addition as well if you were making it as a meal.)

Directions:

Cook pasta – let it cool while you make the dressing and chop the veggies; Mix everything together in a bowl; chill in the refrigerator and it is ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

2009-04-21T08:09:00.005-04:00

This is a great Spring/Summer picnic food - on the deck with the family; goes wonderfully with sweet potatoe fries and salads!

Ingredients:

Pork Shoulder or Pork Roast (shoulder’s tend to be cheaper)
12 oz Root Beer
16 oz Favourite BBQ Sauce

Directions:

Place the pork into your slow cooker with the root beer and cook on low for 4-6 hours depending on the size of your shoulder/roast. Your going to cook it until it pulls apart and separates easily;

Then once it is cooked enough, drain the root beer from the slow cooker. Put your meat on a plate and pull apart the pork; and then put it back in the slow cooker – still cooking it on low and add your BBQ sauce. Cook this mixture for another hour; you can keep the pork in the sauce for as long as you like, but the longer you do the more candied the pork will become…soaking up the BBQ sauce; at this point your pork is already cooked, so an hour should be enough time.

When it’s finished, you can serve it on a toasted bun, and make pulled pork tacos with the leftovers!

Suggestion: Use a BBQ sauce that isn’t too sweet - as the root beer adds a sweetness to the meat already, I suggest a smokey mesquite sauce.

Grape Jelly Meatballs

2009-04-17T09:21:00.002-04:00

This is a Carleton County recipe that has been passed down through the ages I am sure! When I first began cooking; a few years back now. ;) It was one of the first recipes I ever tried on my own; and I still make my meatballs with this sauce, even after being introduced to many other sauce recipes; it is a favourite.

Ingredients:

Meatballs
12oz Heinz Chili Sauce
16oz Grape Jelly

You can use this recipe with frozen meatballs if you enjoy those, I’m not a fan of processed meat – and like ‘real’ meatballs.

Cook your meatballs on top of the stove.
In a pot mix the jelly and chili sauce with a whisk and bring it to a boil – cook until it is mixed well. Add the meatballs to a baking dish and top with the sauce - bake it for 15-20 minutes at 350.

The sauce is even better the next day! :)

Raspberry Chocolate Caramel Bars

2009-04-09T11:51:00.003-04:00

These are absolutely amazing! I found these chez Latest Addictions (so properly named). And the minute I read Raspberry and Caramel.....I was sold!
These are pretty easy to make as well - which is always a huge selling feature to me! I brought them into work yesterday and everyone devoured them, loved them and asked me for the recipe - so thank you so much Latest Addictions - this will definitely be made again in our household. :) Sooooooo yummy!

Topping:

2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup pieces of pecans
1/3 cup brown sugar
6 Tbsp butter
1 box Chocolate covered Caramel Balls (use Junior Caramels - if you can't find them, a few handfuls of chopped Kraft Caramels and a few handfuls of chocolate chipits (small ones) work fine)
Raspberry Jam

Crust:

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter

Mix crust ingredients together until crumbly. Press into a parchment lined baking dish. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

While crust is in oven, mix flour, pecans, brown sugar, and butter together until crumbly.

Remove crust from oven. Spread a thin layer of raspberry jam on top of warm crust. Sprinkle chocolate covered caramel balls (or cut up kraft caramels and add chocolate chips) over top of the raspberry jam layer. Sprinkle the pecan mixture over top of everything. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Cool completely before cutting into bars.

See the caramel oozing out...Mmm!

Ritz cracker Haddock with white wine

2009-04-08T09:15:00.002-04:00

I am always looking for new ways to cook haddock – so if you have a favourite recipe or have found something delicious, please share it with us!

I came across this on tastespotting; and it’s so simple and so incredibly tastey, it is definitely a new favourite in our house. MS and I both loved it and both exclaimed how good it was after our first bites! (Which, I don’t know about you guys, but I usually have to ask MS if he likes something new – so it was great to hear that he loved something before I even had a chance to ask.)

Ingredients:

1 pound haddock fillets (we had two pounds – so cooking time was longer; and you should double up on the rest of the recipe)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons white cooking wine (we just used pinot grigio – what we had)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
8 to 10 Ritz crackers, crumbled
parsley, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F.

In a bowl, combine melted butter, wine and lemon juice and pour a small amount into a baking dish – to cover the bottom;

Place the haddock into the baking dish and pour the remaining butter mixture over the top. Then crumble Ritz crackers over the fish and sprinkle with parsley.

Bake in preheated oven until haddock is flaky – 20 mins per pound.

Serves 2.

Slow Cooker Seafood Chowder

2009-04-06T08:46:00.005-04:00

This is the easy and inexpensive version of a delicious seafood chowder. If you are making this for a special evening (date night or company) you could easily replace the canned seafood with fresh. I would stir fry the fresh seafood, this can even be done the night before and kept in the refrigerator, and add it for the last 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through.

The Grocery List:

1 can (10 ounces) condensed cream of potato soup
1 can (10 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 1/2 cups milk
4 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 large potatoes, chopped into small (1/4 inch) cubes
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp Mrs. Dash (original blend)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 can (6 ounce) medium shrimp, drained
1 can (6 1/2 ounce) chopped clams, drained
1 package (227 g) imitation crab, chopped (I used clover leaf crab delectable)
1/2 package bacon, cooked and crumbled

Cooking It All Up:

In a slow cooker, combine the undiluted soups and milk. Stir in the vegetables, garlic and spices.

Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. Normally you shouldn't lift the cover when you are slow cooking food but I recommend stirring this every hour or so and then quickly replacing the cover so you don't loose too much heat.

Stir in clams, shrimp, and crab. Cover and continue cooking on low for 20 - 30 minutes until heated through.

Garnish each serving with crumbled bacon.

Makes 8 servings.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2009-04-03T08:27:00.004-04:00

I love rice dishes, and really enjoy Chinese Food - AND of course, all things sweet! This is a great combination of sweet and sour; and it is a favourtie of mine - easy and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 pound of boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1" chunks
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 10-ounce can pineapple chunks (reserve juice)
1/4 cup juice from the canned pineapple
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks (use what you have; we used green pepper and onion)
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Directions:
In a bowl, combine the chicken with the egg white, salt and cornstarch. Stir to coat the chicken evenly (it’s going to look disgusting but worth it). Let it sit for 15 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

In the meantime, whisk together the pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, salt, and brown sugar.

Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water instantly sizzles and evaporates. Pour in the 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat. It's important that the pan is very hot. Add the chicken and spread the chicken out in one layer. Let the chicken fry, untouched for 1 minute, until the bottoms are browned. Flip and fry the other side the same for 1 minute. The chicken should still be pinkish in the middle. Dish out the chicken onto a clean plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.

4 Turn the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Let the oil heat up and then add the bell pepper chunks and ginger. Fry for 1 minute. Add the pineapple chunks and the sweet and sour sauce. Turn the heat to high and when the sauce is simmering, add the chicken pieces back in. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Timing depends on how thick you've cut your chicken. The best way to tell if the chicken is done is to take a piece out and cut into it. If it's pink, add another minute to the cooking.

Taste the sauce and add more brown sugar if you’d like.

Serves 4.

Tuna Buns

2009-04-01T17:45:00.005-04:00

These buns are super easy to make for a great lunch or a quick supper. My kids do a little happy dance when they see me making them!

The Grocery List:

2 cans of tuna
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 cup Cheddar cheese, cut in small cubes (cubes is the best way to do this but I used pre-shredded cheese because that was what I had on hand)
1/4 cup mayo to start (add enough that it becomes creamy, not dry!)
6 hamburger buns
pepper and salt

Cooking It Up:

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium sized bowl mix tuna, chopped egg, cheese and mayo.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray so the buns don't stick.

Lay the bun halves out on the tray and top with tuna mixture.

Season with Salt and Pepper.
Bake until heated through and cheese is melted.

Easy isn't it? So so so yummy. Let me know what you think! Oh and did you notice that I don't have any pictures of the cooked buns? We just couldn't wait to eat them .... sorry.

Pumpkin Whoopee Pies

2009-03-31T11:09:00.003-04:00

I found this recipe via Lovin the Oven; and since I was headed to our family sugar shack this past weekend; I thought it would be a great treat to bring with me. Everyone loved them! The cream cheese frosting was delicious and what I think made these taste so good. The pies were incredibly moist; I wrapped them individually in plastic wrap; so they would travel more easily and this may have added to the moistness.

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 TBSP cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground fresh nutmeg
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup canola oil
3 cups chilled pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare baking sheets lined with parchment paper (love this – so easy and no mess!)

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk to sugars and oil together. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.
Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined.
Use a small ice cream scoop (works perfectly) to drop a bit more than a TBSP of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.

Bake for 12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on the pan before assembling.

To assemble:

Turn half the cooled cookies upside down. Pipe filling (cover most of the cookie – a good TBSP) onto that half. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spread to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are used.

This recipe yields 24 assembled pies.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (Whoopee Pie Filling)

2009-03-31T11:05:00.002-04:00

This is incredibly tastey - and could be made without maple syrup as well - for a great Cream Cheese Frosting.

Ingredients:

3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
5 TBSP maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

In a bowl, beat the butter until smooth with no visible lumps – I did this with a wooden spoon.
Add the cream cheese and beat until combined – used an electric mixer.

Add the powdered sugar, maple syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth with an electric mixer. Be careful no to over beat the filling, or it will lose structure.

Sloppy Joes

2009-03-29T19:24:00.006-04:00

The Grocery List:

1 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 small onion , diced
1 medium carrot , peeled and diced
1/2 medium green bell pepper diced
2 cloves garlic , minced
1/2 cup ketchup
1 can (398 ml) reduced sodium tomato sauce (I used Hunts)
1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
5 warmed whole wheat buns
cheese (optional)

Cooking It all Up:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Add the olive oil, beef, onion, carrot, pepper,and garlic.

Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the beef is cooked and the onions are translucent, 7 to 10 minutes.

Add the ketchup, tomato sauce, chili powder and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until desired consistency is reached.

Serve over the buns and top with cheese.

Chicks Health Note: You could easily ramp up the veggies by adding shredded zucchini, mushrooms etc. and you could reduce the calorie/fat content by using lean ground turkey instead of beef.

Balsamic Vinegar and Garlic Chicken

2009-03-26T17:57:00.004-04:00

We love this meal, it's the perfect date night meal and it's a restaurant quality meal. As long as you enjoy mushrooms, you will love it! It's absolutely delicious and it's not a difficult meal to prepare at all - and is very tastey!.

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Rinse the mushrooms and pat dry. Season the flour with salt and pepper and dredge the chicken breasts in the flour mixture. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat and saute the chicken until it is nicely browned on one side (about 3 minutes).

Add the garlic. Turn the chicken breasts and scatter the mushrooms over them. Continue frying, shaking the skillet and stirring the mushrooms. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the vinegar, broth, bay leaf and thyme. Cover tightly and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.

Transfer the chicken to a warm serving platter and cover with foil. Set aside. Continue simmering the sauce, uncovered, over medium high heat for about 7 minutes. Swirl in the butter or margarine and discard the bay leaf. Pour this mushroom sauce mixture over the chicken and serve.

Curry Marinated Chicken (Fancy or Lazy - Your choice!)

2009-03-24T08:42:00.004-04:00

This is a yummy marinade that keeps chicken moist and is a nice change from regular BBQ sauce when you are grilling. What can I say.....I took the lazy way out and used full chicken breasts so my picture doesn't match what the actual finished meal should look like.....so sorry!! It was one of those days! Here is the "good" fancier version of the recipe!
The Grocery List:

1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
3 cups of water
8 oz fresh mushrooms
1 plum tomato, diced (optional)
2 or 3 green onions, chopped (optional)
skewers

Cooking it Up:

In a large freezer bag, mix the mayonnaise, garlic, curry power, chili powder, and ginger. Place the chicken in the mixture, seal the bag removing as much air as possible. Squish chicken around until well coated. Refrigerate over night or for a minimum of 2 hours.
Preheat BBQ on medium-high heat.

In a large deep (very large is best so it doesn't boil over!) microwave safe dish, combine rice and water. Cover and cook on full power for 10 minutes. When that 10 minutes is up, reset microwave and continue cooking rice for 10 minutes on half power. No need to open the microwave in between the two.

Discard marinade, thread chicken and mushrooms onto skewers (alternate between chicken and mushrooms).

Lightly oil the grill, grill skewers turning often for 8-10 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.

Serve skewers over rice and sprinkle diced tomato and green onion on top as the garnish.

Serves 4-6.

Butter Cream Frosting

2009-03-20T14:20:00.003-04:00

Ingredients:

5 oz (150g) Butter - softened
8 oz (250g) confectioners (icing) sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp hot water

Directions:

1. Beat together the butter and sugar with an electric beater.
2. Once well combined, add the vanilla and water. Beat until smooth and creamy.

Makes enough for 12 cupcakes.

PS – Follow the directions to a T – otherwise your frosting will disintegrate to nothingness….and it is very sad to come back to your cupcakes an hour later to find no frosting on them…just liquid yuckiness.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

2009-03-20T14:17:00.003-04:00

Ingredients:

½ cup self-raising flour
½ cup all-purpose (plain) flour
¼ tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
3½ oz (90g) butter, softened
¼ cup milk
2 tbsp corn syrup (golden syrup)

Directions:

1 Preheat the oven to 330°F (170°C).
2 Line a 12 cupcake pan, with cupcake papers.
3 Sift the flours, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl.
4 Add the remaining ingredients.
5 Using an electric mixer, beat until combined and lightens in color (about 2 minutes).
6 Divide the mixture evenly between the cake cases.
7 Bake for 30 minutes.
8 Remove tin from the oven, transfer to rack and cool.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Easy Pad Thai

2009-03-18T19:26:00.008-04:00

I love, love, LOVE Thai food but ordering it, as often as I'd like to eat it, can be expensive. This Pad Thai recipe is an easy way to enjoy it at home!
The Grocery List

6 oz. (175 g) wide rice stick noodles
1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce (substitute reduced sodium soy sauce if you don't have fish sauce)
3 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tsp Asian chili paste or hot pepper sauce
2 chicken breasts, chopped
1 Tbsp and 1 Tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 egg, beaten
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. (250 g) large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 red pepper, diced
2 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

Cooking It Up:
In a large bowl, soak noodles in warm water until soft (about 15 minutes), drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk chicken broth, sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, ketchup and Asian chili paste or hot pepper sauce; set aside.

Cut chicken into bite sized chunks.

In wok or large frying pan, heat 1 tsp. oil over medium heat. Cook egg, stirring occasionally until scrambled and set. Transfer to small bowl or plate.

Wipe wok, add 1 tbsp. oil, increase heat to medium-high and stir-fry garlic, shrimp and chicken. When chicken and shrimp are almost cooked add the red pepper, continue to stir fry until chicken and shrimp are cooked through.

Stir in noodles for 1 or 2 minutes or until they start to soften. Pour in sauce; stir-fry until noodles are tender. Return egg to pan; add bean sprouts, cilantro and half the green onions. Stir until heated through.

Remove to warm serving platter. Garnish with peanuts and remaining green onions. Serves 4.

Per serving: Guesstimate	-
calories	331
protein	20 g
total fat	11 g
sat. fat	2 g
carbs	39 g
fibre	4 g
cholesterol	117 mg
sodium	915 mg

**Chicks note: You can reduce the chicken to 1 breast and add 6 oz of Tofu. Just add the tofu to the pan at the same time you add the red pepper!**

Banana Pineapple Trifle

2009-03-17T09:09:00.003-04:00

If you love banana cream pie...you will LOVE this dessert! :)
It is easy and delicious.

Grocery list:

1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 (9 inch) angel food cake
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
3 bananas, peeled and sliced
1 (15 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, fold sour cream and unprepared pudding mix into the whipped topping.

2. Cut the cake into cubes.

3. Place one layer of cake in bottom of bowl, top with 1/3 of bananas and pineapple, and 1/3 of whipped topping mixture. Repeat layering until all ingredients are used.

Suggestion: Garnish with toasted coconut..Mmm..! :)
This must be refrigerated for a good hour (or two) before serving, it is 100% tastier if served cold!

Arroz Con Pollo (a.k.a. Spanish Rice & Chicken)

2009-03-16T07:56:00.004-04:00

This is an easy and flavorful way for the whole family to enjoy chicken. I love "oven" recipes, I think they were all created as a way to save mommy sanity - if I can put everything together quickly and then put it in the oven and forget about it until it's cooked, I'm a happy chick!

The Shopping List

1 3/4 cup uncooked brown minute rice (instant rice)
6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (about 4 ounces each)
Garlic Salt, Pepper to taste
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
1 cup of salsa (I use mild because the kids are eating this with us, but spicy would be delicious)
1 can (398 ml size or 14.5 ounces) tomato sauce
1 chopped onion
1/2 chopped green pepper
1/2 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
2 green onions chopped (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Putting It All Together

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13" x 9" baking dish.

Spread rice evenly along bottom of dish.

Season both sides of each chicken breast half with garlic salt and pepper, place over rice in baking dish.

In a bowl combine the broth, salsa, tomato sauce, onion and green pepper. Stir to combine and pour over chicken.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 55 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove foil, sprinkle with cheese mixture and bake uncovered for another 5 minutes. Broil for 1 minute if desired.
I serve this with some chopped green onion scattered on top and a dollop of sour cream! Yummy.

Cream of Mushroom Haddock

2009-03-13T09:44:00.003-04:00

We usually always marinated our haddock in lemon juice and water and add salt and pepper to the fillets. This is so simple and so tastey – I love it. But one day I was thinking I needed to try something different with Haddock and came up with this…MS loved it; and it was a tasty change of pace.

Ingredients:
Chopped asparagus (celery or broccoli would be good too);
Chopped onion (I like onion in most things..optional);
Chopped mushrooms;
Grated Cheddar;
Salt and Pepper;
Can of cream of mushroom soup (Can try cream of broccoli or asparagus);
Haddock – two or three good sized fillets

Place the haddock on the bottom of your baking dish – sprinkle them with salt and pepper; Cover the fillets with your veggies; and then add your cheese and can of soup!

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until your haddock is cooked through; put overtop of some rice and enjoy!

Nacho Dip with Cucumber ?

2009-03-12T08:19:00.003-04:00

Mmm....Nacho Dip! :) This is a very basic recipe; and you've probably had something similar before. I was a tad weery about the lettuce and cucumber in this recipe; however, it adds something refreshing - and the cucumbers are quite delicious. I usually go for the warm dips; but this is a great cold dip!

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup cocktail sauce
1 cup medium salsa
3/4 cup diced green onion
3/4 cup diced red bell pepper
3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1 tomato chopped
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cucumber, thinly sliced

Blend with an electric hand mixer, blender, food processor, whatever you’ve got, but mix thoroughly - cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise. Spread the mixture evenly in the bottom of a medium serving dish.

In individual layers, top the mixture with cocktail sauce, mild salsa, diced green onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, chopped tomato, shredded Cheddar cheese and shredded lettuce.

Arrange cucumber slices around the edge of the serving dish. Chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf

2009-03-10T13:04:00.005-04:00

This recipe makes 3 pumpkin chocolate chip loaves. I usually have one for our family, bring one into work or give it to a friend, and freeze one. I am in no way a baker but this recipe is nice and easy and always turns out moist and delicious.

The Grocery List

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
3 cups of white granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Baking It Up

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9x5 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth.
Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.
Divide mixture evenly into loaf pans.
Bake for 1 hour, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. (check them at 45 mins to be safe!)
Cool on wire racks before removing from pans.

Yields 3 loaves or 36 Servings. Per Serving: Calories: 203,Total Fat: 8.6g, Cholesterol: 24mg,Sodium: 204mg,Total Carbs: 30.7g, Dietary Fiber: 1.2g,Protein: 2.3g

Stuffed Pork Loin a La Monterey

2009-03-10T09:21:00.004-04:00

After reading mommy's post on Greek Stuffed Pork Loin; I came up with this recipe! We always have Monterey Jack cheese in our house; and red peppers; and MS does not like feta...so I thought why not try this, and let me tell you, it was amazing and very tastey! The Monterey Jack cheese had red pepper flakes in it; and added a nice spice to each bite - delicious!

The Grocery List
• 2 pork loins (there are only two of us, so we only cooked one)
• salt and pepper
• 4 jarred roasted red pepper halves (cut into strips)
• 1 package of precooked bacon strips
• 1 1/2 cups grated monterey jack cheese with red pepper flakes
• 6 tbsp Balsamic vinegrette salad dressing
• wooden or metal skewers (if you are using wood, soak them in water for 10 mins prior to use)
Cooking it all Up:

Pound the pork loins to 1/2 inch thickness using your kitchen hammer and season both sides with salt and pepper.

Layer bacon, roasted red peppers and monterey onto the pork loins (spread the ingredients evenly between the two). Pour a line of balsamic vinegrette on top.
Fold the pork loin over and secure with skewers. Place in a greased baking dish.

Brush balsamic vinegrette thoroughly over the outside of the pork loin.
Bake uncovered at 350 for 40 minutes or until pork is fully cooked and enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2009-03-08T18:59:00.006-04:00

I know that is an ugly picture, perhaps the ugliest picture to ever grace this blog...it's shame because I promise this is one of THE. Best. Meals. EVER.

My 6 year olds favorite meal! You ask most kids what they want for a supper or a birthday dinner and you'll get "pizza" as a reply. Not my Olivia, she will reply "how about meatballs with rice". Everyone I've ever made this for has loved it and wanted more. I usually make a double or triple dose and freeze them in freezer bags for quick weeknight meals.

The Grocery List

1 lbs ground beef
1 package of dry onion soup mix
1 eggs
1 chopped onion
2 cups of chopped mushrooms
1 can of tomato soup
1/3 cup Ketchup (original recipe states "a dollop" which i figure is about 1/3 or until you can't squeeze the bottle any more)
2 handfuls of brown sugar (very technical...I know)
2 tbsp vinegar

Cooking It all Up

Begin by making the meatball. Add the ground beef, onion soup mix and egg to a bowl, mix well (I use my hands) and form meatballs. Lay the meatballs out on baking trays. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, turning once. Once they are cooked I place them on a plate and dab them dry with paper towel to remove excess fat.

While the meatballs are cooking, put the tomato soup, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, onion and mushrooms into a large pot on the stove.

One the meatballs are cooked, add them to the sauce and simmer at least 30 minutes.
** alternatively, if you aren't pressed for time, you could make the sauce right in your slow cooker as I did with my double batch, add the cooked meatballs, and set to low for a few hours.

Serve over rice with a side salad and garlic bread. A perfect meal for a rushed weeknight or for company on a weekend. Enjoy!

Satay Chicken Pasta

2009-03-06T07:41:00.005-05:00

This recipe is from Pampered Chef and is actually supposed to be a pasta salad; but I prefer it warm. However, I'm sure it would be great either way; it is very delicious - and that is all thanks to the sauce!

Ingredients:
8 oz uncooked bow tie pasta
1 cup lite Asian vinaigrette salad dressing
2 tbsp Asian Seasoning Mix (or see substitute at the bottom)
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 medium carrots, peeled
1 medium red bell pepper
1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts (we just used chopped peanuts from the cooking aisle and garnished at the end - I did enjoy the peanuts; MS didn't)
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil (again, we garnished at the end; and chopped maybe 1/4 cup)
3 cups diced cooked chicken (about 1 lb)
Additional chopped peanuts (optional)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and wait till everything else is cooked before transferring to a mixing bowl to mix with all other ingredients.

2. For the dressing, combine vinaigrette, seasoning mix and peanut butter in a small bowl; mix well using a whisk and set aside.

3. Cut carrots into julienne strips; cut bell pepper lengthwise. I bought a pre-package of chopped veggies at the supermarket for $3.99 and it was perfect. It had red, yellow and green peppers; carrots already julienned; mushrooms; onions; broccoli; cauliflower and we added a handful of sweet peas - cause at that point, why not! We both love stir frys - and it was so great to have everything pre-chopped - it really helped to cut a corner and we both enjoyed all the veggies in this dish even though it would be fine without them as well - just use what you like!

4. Cook the chicken and then add the veggies to the mix until they are cooked - I like mine a little crunchy in a dish like this; but MS prefers them cooked well. Again, do this step however you like. I added a little salt and pepper as I was cooking the chicken and EVOO.

5. Next you are going to add the noodles to a mixing bowl then add the chicken/vegetables and dressing to mix well. As your mixing it is easy to judge how much dressing you should add; we didn't end up using it all but it was close. Then we garnished the tops of our serving with chopped peanuts and chopped basil.

Yield: 6 servings (8 cups)

Nutrients per serving: (about 1 1/2 cups): Calories 450, Total Fat 16 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 60 mg, Carbohydrate 45 g, Protein 31 g, Sodium 750 mg, Fiber 3 g

Cook's Tip: If desired, 2 garlic cloves, pressed (we finely chopped) and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper can be substituted for the Asian Seasoning Mix.

Greek Stuffed Pork Loin

2009-03-04T20:06:00.004-05:00

I came up with this recipe on the fly. Pork loins were on sale at the grocery store and I was craving Greek food. I was pleasantly surprised with how well it turned out and how my family gobble it up. I would make it again for sure, it's simple enough for a dinner any day of the week and fancy enough for company! Using two pork loins for this recipe gives us enough for our family to have dinner (2 adults, 2 kids) and have enough left over for a man sized lunch the next day.

The Grocery List

2 pork loins
salt and pepper
4 jarred roasted red pepper halves (cut into strips)
1 package of precooked bacon strips
1 1/2 cups grated feta cheese
6 tbsp Greek style salad dressing
wooden or metal skewers (if you are using wood, soak them in water for 10 mins prior to use)

Cooking it all Up:

Pound the pork loins to 1/2 inch thickness using your kitchen hammer and season both sides with salt and pepper.

Layer bacon, roasted red peppers and feta onto the pork loins (spread the ingredients evenly between the two).
Fold the pork loin over and secure with skewers. Place in a greased baking dish.

Sprinkle the Greek salad dressing over top of the meat.
Bake uncovered at 350 for 40 minutes or until pork is fully cooked.

Oven BBQ Chicken

2009-03-03T08:49:00.005-05:00

This is one of my husbands favorite recipes. I stole it from my mom! This recipe is easily doubled or tripled and freezes really well for a quick weeknight meal.

The Grocery List

Family pack of chicken thighs (approx. 16-18 pieces)
2/3 cup of ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
2 oz white vinegar
1/3 bottle of HP sauce
10-12 shakes of Worcestershire
2 tsp garlic salt
1 cup of brown sugar

Cooking it Up

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop in the chicken thighs. Cook for 8-10 minutes. (this is a step that I have skipped but I find when I do the sauce gets watery instead of staying nice and thick, so although it's an extra step, I recommend you do it).

Mix all of the rest of the ingredients in a large casserole dish.
Drain the chicken and shake off excess water. Drop the chicken into the sauce.
Cook at 325 for 2 hours.

The Mommy's Shepherd's Pie

2009-02-23T19:59:00.007-05:00

This recipe makes two family sized (2 adults, 2 kids and a bit leftover for lunch) Shepherds Pie’s – I usually freeze one and have one for dinner. You could easily half this recipe if you just want to one meal out of it. With two small kids and seemingly no time…I’m all about cook once eat twice or more!
Oh.....and I use carrots instead of the traditional corn because that's the kind of chick I am (and it's what my family prefers) but you can use whatever veggie pleases you and your crew!

Grocery List

Family Pack of Lean Ground Beef (2.5 lbs)
8 potatoes (3 lbs), chopped
¾ cup milk
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
1 package of dry onion soup mix
8oz package of mushrooms, chopped
2 onions, chopped
3 ½ cups of chopped carrots (or you could substitute with 2 cans of creamed corn)
3 tbsp of Worchester Sauce
2 ½ cups of Ketchup
¾ cup of Steak Sauce (I use HP)
Sprinkle of Paprika

Cooking It All Up

Chop the potatoes and carrots. Bring each to a boil in separate pots and let cook until softened. The potatoes need to be fully cooked so you can mash them, the carrots should be soft but not mushy.

Meanwhile, brown the ground beef. Once browned drain it and rinse (I do this to remove the extra grease but it’s totally optional). While the beef is draining in the strainer, brown the mushrooms and onion in the same pan. Return the beef to the pan, add the onion soup mix, Worchester sauce, ketchup and steak sauce, mix well and set aside.

Drain the potatoes and mash with the milk, butter, salt and pepper to taste. Also drain the carrots and set aside.

Assembly and The Grand Finale

Layer the beef mixture into two casserole dishes. Top with carrots (or creamed corn if you prefer), top with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with Paprika.

At this point I set one dish aside for freezing and I cook the other in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, remove cover and broil for 3 minutes.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Buns....sticky, gooey...goodness

2009-02-17T09:50:00.005-05:00

This recipe is great for a Saturday or Sunday when you’re home; having a relaxing day, maintaining the household and most importantly where you have the time; it takes 3 hours - because the dough has to rise.

Ingredients (these measurements are for 6 servings – I got 12 small buns as per photos):

7g (.25 ounce) package of active dry yeast
3 tablespoons and 1/2 teaspoon warm water
3 tablespoons and 1/2 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon and 1-3/4 teaspoons white sugar
1 tablespoon and 1-3/4 teaspoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1-1/2 cups and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup and 2 teaspoons butter
1/4 cup and 2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon chopped pecans
1/4 cup and 2 teaspoons brown sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon and 1-3/4 teaspoons melted butter

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve ½ teaspoon of sugar and yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in 1 tablespoon and 1-3/4 teaspoon white sugar, 1 tablespoon and 1-3/4 teaspoons butter and salt; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.
2. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture, milk mixture, egg and flour (add the flour gradually – mixing in between each addition until all is added); stir well to combine. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes (literally).
3. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl an turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
4. While dough is rising, melt ¼ cup and 2 teaspoons of butter over medium heat. Stir in ¼ cup and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar, whisking until smooth (I’d double this; you want to make sure that the bottom of your pan is covered nicely; as you will be coating the cinnamon buns at the end once they are cooked). Pour into greased baking pan. Sprinkle pecans onto mixture; set aside. Melt the remaining butter; set aside. Combine remaining brown sugar and cinnamon and pecans; set aside.
5. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, roll into an 18x14 (or as close as you can get) rectangle. Brush with melted butter, leaving ½ inch border; sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon mixture (I’d double this as well). Starting at the long side, tightly roll up, pinching seam to seal. Brush with melted butter. With a serrated knife, cut into pieces and place cut side down in prepared pan. Cover and let rise for 1 hour; until doubled in volume.
6. Preheat oven 375 and bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool in pan for 3 minutes (I didn’t), then invert onto serving platter. Scrape remaining filling from the pan onto the buns! AND, try not to eat them all! :)

PS – Next time; I think we’ll skip the butter/brown sugar mixture and try frosting on them instead!

Hotdog Bake

2009-02-17T08:51:00.006-05:00

This is a great ‘wholesome food’ recipe. If you’re having one of those days where you just want something that will stick to your ribs and warm your soul, this is it! Don’t be fooled by the lameness of the hotdogs – it is really good! - ...there's a great flavour in the potatoe! Country boys and kids everywhere will love it! :)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tbsp margarine
1 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp prepared mustard
4-5 hot dogs, sliced (we use chicken dogs; just because that’s what we have in the house)
4 medium potatoes - cook and mash

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small saucepan, cook onion in margarine until tender. Blend in flour and salt. Then add your milk, cooking and stirring over medium heat until bubbly and thickened (thickens up quite a bit, make sure to watch it). Add the cheese, continually stirring to melt it, and then add the parsley and mustard.

Fold your hotdogs into your mashed potatoes, and then add the sauce mixing together in the potato pot. Turn into a casserole dish. Cover and bake for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Enjoy! :)

Meatloaf A La Chick

2009-02-16T13:53:00.005-05:00

I challenge you to make this meatloaf and not fall in love with it. It's so simple yet so moist and flavorful.

The Grocery List

2 lbs lean ground beef
2/3 cup crushed buttery crackers
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 package of onion soup mix (dry)
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tbsp + 2 tsp steak sauce
1 egg

Cooking it Up

Preheat your oven to 350 F. In a large bowl mix together beef, crackers, cheese, and soup mix until well mixed.

In a separate bowl stir together the egg, ketchup, and steak sauce until smooth. Dump the saucy mix into the meaty mix and combine well - your hands will work best!

Put it into a 9x5 loaf pan.

Bake for 45 - 60 minutes until no longer pink. I usually cover it for the first 30 minutes with foil and then remove it so the top browns and forms a bit of a crust.

Wholly Moley Nachos!

2009-02-12T07:58:00.001-05:00

It’s been a busy week at our house, and since we are going away tomorrow for the weekend, tonight won’t be any better – packing, grocery shopping, last minute errands etc etc. Needless to say, I haven’t cooked anything all week. But I’ve found some intriguing recipes and received some from friends, and family that I’m excited to try out. (Actually, I’ve made two different things in the last week – a French toast casserole; and an appetizer with bread, asparagus and cream cheese; but both were horrible and not worthy to share!) So, I bring you – awesome, delicious – Nachos!

Something easy, that everyone probably already makes, and loves – because, you really can’t go wrong with Nachos! Mmm..But – this is how we make them in our house!

Ingredients:
Lean hamburger;
Taco seasoning;
Onions;
Tomatoes;
Green pepper;
Red pepper;
Cheese;
Salsa – I love Herdez medium;
Sour Cream;
Scoops – our Nacho chip of choice!

Brown the hamburger and drain; add your onions and cook for a little bit, then add your taco seasoning as per the package instructions, we add less water than it’s called for - about ½ cup or a bit more, so there isn’t as much liquid – drain again once this is all cooked up nicely.

Dice up more onion if you like onion, green pepper, red pepper – whichever vegetables you enjoy! The trick with tomatoes is to take out the flesh part – the seeds etc. and only use the tougher exterior and inside – this is to avoid soggyness.

Place your nacho chips on a cookie sheet over top of aluminum foil to avoid a messy clean up; then add the hamburger that you finished draining; sprinkle on the veggies and top with shredded cheese!
We eat veggie nachos often as well; and go through the same motions minus the hamburger – delicious!
You can also substitute with chicken and use less seasoning!

Bake at 350 until the cheese is melted nicely – usually only takes 5 minutes or so!

Dip in and enjoy!

PS: My new favourite ingredient which MS does not enjoy; so I only put on my side…DILL PICKLES!! :) Love love love them..just chop them up thinly sliced..mmm! I make deli dills each year and find these are perfect as a nacho topper – try it and let me know what you think!

Garlic Dip - enjoyed with Sweet Potatoe Fries

2009-02-11T08:15:00.006-05:00

I'm completely addicted to Sweet Potatoe Fries right now; and have been looking for the perfect homeade dip that could be served with them. This one is fairly good; and quite easy to prepare.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Put the ingredients in a small bowl, combine and stir. You can top it with a little paprika; or chilli powder to add to it's presentation. :)

I haven't found a recipe to perfect the Sweet Potatoe Fries; they always seem a bit soggy, but once I do I will post one for sure! I have one to try that involves egg whites and flour...will keep you posted!

Mary's Lasagna Casserole

2009-02-06T08:42:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:

Oven ready lasagna noodles
Box of hamburger helper lasagna
Meat
Onions
Cheese – cheddar or mozzarella – whatever you have on hand
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Oregano
Hot sauce - optional
½ big can of tomato juice

To prepare:

Brown the hamburger and then add the onions – salt and pepper;
Heat up the tomato juice, hamburger helper spice packet, tsp of onion powder and tsp of garlic powder – and hot sauce if desired – we add Frank’s red hot sauce;
Cook 1/3 package of lasagna noodles broken up; when they are almost cooked add the hamburger helper noodles – cook and drain. If your using a lot of hamburger and it will fill more than a square sized casserole dish I’d cook ½ the box of oven ready lasagna noodles;
Add the hamburger to a casserole dish, add the noodles and the sauce, mix it all together and sprinkle the top with oregano and cover with your favourite cheese. We hid some pieces of cream cheese in it this time to see if it added some yummy goodness – was ok; but nothing special!

Cook on 350 for 40 minutes.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Fake Out

2009-02-05T20:44:00.006-05:00

Easy enough for any weeknight, yummy enough for dinner with company!

Grocery List

4 or 5 chicken breasts chopped into bite sized pieces
1 cup chopped ham (or you could use 6 slices of deli ham chopped)
5 slices of Swiss Cheese - cut or torn into bite size pieces
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 box of your favorite stuffing mix (or you could use your own homemade version)

Cooking It All Up:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Prepare the stuffing mix according to box directions.
Chop chicken, ham, cheese into bite sized pieces and throw it all into a casserole dish.
Take 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, open it, dump 2 tbsp of the Dijon mustard right into the can. Mix it up.
Pour the soup/mustard mix onto the chicken/ham/cheese mix.
Stir it on up. Be gentle.
Top with prepared stuffing mix.
Bake until cooked and chicken is no longer pink - probably 60 minutes.

Chicks Note: If you are making this recipe for company you might want to take extra time, pound out the chicken breast, lay a piece of ham and a piece of swiss on each chicken breast, roll, place in dish. Make the sauce and stuffing the same way! A little prettier on the plate but exactly the same taste!

I like to serve this with mashed potatoes and a veggie. YUM YUM YUM - Comfort food at it's best!

Shepherd's Pie - an oldie but a lovely!

2009-02-03T12:21:00.005-05:00

My mother used to make this recipe when I was a kid; and she used mixed vegetables and I hated that! But I loved it otherwise, and knew it had potential. So, when I got old enough I revamped this recipe into what I love - and it is always a favourite in our house - my nephew and sister love it too - it is delicious! That's the great thing about it, you can make it your very own. I have a friend who puts onion soup mix into the beef, and that is quite good as well.

Ingredients:
Hamburger;
6 good sized potatoes;
Veggies of your choice - whether they be frozen or canned
I like to use delmonte french cut green beans and corn; a can of each;
1 small onion;
cup of mushrooms or canned if you like those as well;
milk and butter for the mashed potatoes;
1 cup of cheddar cheese; and
1/2 cup of ketchup or just squirt to taste.

First you are going to boil your potatoes; mash them your favourite way. I usually add milk and butter - however, sour cream would work well also.
At the same time you are going to brown your hamburger - I always season my hamburger with salt and pepper while it's browning; then add your mushrooms and onions - cook for another 10 mins and add your ketchup - to taste.

In a glassware dish, you are going to place the cooked hamburger on the bottom, then layer on your drained veggies of your choice, then layer on your mashed potatoes, and top with cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 mins until it is heated through and cheese is good and melted on the top!

Easy as can be and absolutely delicious!

Kitchen Chicken Casserole

2009-01-30T09:33:00.007-05:00

A quote from my three year old “mommy can we eat this every night cause I LOVE IT” and she normally doesn’t LOVE anything that isn’t yoghurt!

This is not the prettiest dish but oh my sweet heavens it is so yummy.

I call this kitchen chicken casserole because it’s an easy throw together recipe that can use pretty much whatever you have in your kitchen. Use fresh chicken or leftover chicken. I am even willing to bet that if you used leftover chicken and skipped cooking up the veggies, just threw it in the pan with all of the other ingredients and popped it in the oven you’d end up with a masterpiece. I have never done it that way (I will next time) but if you do…let me know how it goes!

The Grocery List (it seems like a lot of ingredients but you can add or omit based on what you have in your house, I am positive there is no way to mess this up)

Chicken (I used leftover chicken that I cut in chunks but you could use 2 chicken breasts)
1 medium carrot
1 medium onion
Half a green bell pepper
Half a red bell pepper
Garlic
1 large leek
Some Spice: 1 1/2 tbsp curry powder, 2 tsp paprika powder, few shakes of Salt and Pepper

1 cup uncooked rice (I use brown rice)
2 cans of cream soup – I’m confident any cream soup will work but if you want to be just like me you’d use 1 can cream of mushroom soup and 1 can golden mushroom soup
2 1/3 cups chicken broth
2 tsp Lawry’s seasoned salt
1/8 tsp hot chili pepper
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
Olive oil
Pinch of fresh or dried parsley.
Aluminum foil

Cooking It All Up:

Preheat your oven to F350 (175C)

Chop all your veggies making sure they are all about the same size.

*if you are using leftover already cooked chicken, cut it into chunks and throw it into a big bowl and tell it to hang out until you are ready to add the other goods. (note: there is nothing wrong with talking to your food)*

If you are using chicken breasts cut them up and season with salt, pepper, curry powder and paprika powder. Sautée them until they’re just about done, make sure not to overcook them. Remove them from the skillet and transfer to a big bowl.

Add a little more oil to your pan and sautée the veggies, start with the hard veggies like the carrots and move your way to the softer ones. *if you are using the leftover chicken just add the spices to the veggies while they sautée…trust me it’ll all work out in the end* Once the veggies are softened a bit (not too much because they will cook in the oven and you don’t want them mushy, yuck) add them to the bowl with the chicken.

Now the party starts. To the chicken/veggie bowl add all of the other ingredients. Mix Mix, Mix.

Dump it all to an oven dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Put it in a preheated oven for an hour. Pull it out, remove the foil, stir it up, and put it back in the oven uncovered for about 20 minutes (use your judgment, you just want to make sure the rice is sufficiently cooked, no one likes crunchy rice). Turn the oven to broil for the last 5 minutes to make it brown and pretty on top.

Serve it up, sprinkle with parsley if you are fancy, and enjoy!

Roast Chicken and BBQ Veggies

2009-01-25T16:53:00.007-05:00

As a busy working mom, I can’t think of anything better than a meal that is fuss free. This meal is easy prep, oven roasting, healthy, and delicious for the whole family. I know roast chicken and veggies doesn't sound like something that actually requires a recipe but trust me.....if you do it this way you'll be very very happy. The chicken will be juicy and fresh and the veggies are sweet and spicy. YUMMY!

The Grocery List

Roast Chicken

Whole Chicken (I used two small roasting chickens so we’d have leftovers)
Spice (I used Thyme, Rosemary, Paprika, Oregano and Garlic Powder)
1 lemon

BBQ Veggies

Any combination of veggies will work: I used 1 large Sweet Potato, 1 large Carrot, 1 lb of Baby Potatoes, and 1 Onion (chopped into large chunks that are roughly the same size)
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I only used ¼ because my kids are sensitive when it comes to spice!)

Cooking it Up:

Preheat Oven to 400°F.

The Chicken: Remove chicken from packaging and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Put chicken in a roasting pan. I like to use a rack in my roasting pan so that the chicken isn’t sitting in the drippings (i.e.: fat). Squeeze the lemon juice from one fresh lemon over the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with the spices. Add a few slices of lemon. Bake for 2 hours or until cooked.

After the chicken cooks for an hour you can throw in the veggies!

The Veggies: Mix all of the ingredients, except the veggie, in large bowl. Add veggies; toss to coat. Transfer mixture to a large baking dish or rimmed cookie sheet, spreading it all out evenly. Bake until tender, stirring occasionally, about 55 minutes.

Chicks Chili - So easy a dude could do it!**

2009-01-19T09:25:00.010-05:00

There is nothing better on a cold winter afternoon than a hearty bowl of chili. Chili is so versatile, you can add as many or as few ingredients as you wish, as much spice or as little spice as you like. I make my chili with a lot of veggies and a variety of beans. I don't make it too spicy because the kiddos eat it. I always serve it with nachos, cheese, sour cream, and hot sauce (for the more adventurous adults!).

The Grocery List

Family Pack of Extra Lean Ground Beef
2 540ml (19 oz) cans of mixed beans, well rinsed in cold water
3 796ml (28 oz) cans of reduced sodium diced tomatoes
1 700ml bottle of roasted tomato sauce (or your favorite variety of tomato sauce)
1 cup of mushroom, chopped
1 cup of green pepper, chopped
1 cup of red pepper, chopped
1 large onion, diced
3 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
few dashes of hot sauce, optional

Chick Note: My slow cooker is HUGE so if you have a smaller slow cooker, reduce the ingredients accordingly or you'll end up with way too much stuff and a big old mess.

Some ingredients were too shy to pose for this picture!

Cooking it Up:

Start by browning the ground beef. While that's happening, get our your slow cooker and give it a good spray with your cooking spray, this will make cleaning up so so so much easier!

Chop up all of the veggies, drain and rinse the beans. Add them to the slow cooker.

Once the ground beef has sufficiently browned, add it to the slow cooker. Add the diced tomatoes including juice, add the bottle of tomato sauce, mix it all around. Add the chili powder, cumin, and if you are wild add the hot sauce.

Stir and let it all do it's thing on low for 8 hours. If you are less patient (or less of a think ahead kinda person) you can set it to high for a 2 hours and then reduce it to low for 2 hours.

**If you are a dude, please do not take offense to the title....just jokes. The chicks LOVE dudes!

Nanny's Banana Cupcakes

2009-01-18T11:43:00.004-05:00

My Nanny, Jenny, was born in 1900, and many of my memories of her are of our visits to her house playing outside and in the parks; and of us all sitting around the kitchen table eating and visiting.
She made the most deliciously scrumptious pickles I've had in my entire life !!- one visit mes soeurs and I ate 5 jars! ....my mouth still waters when thinking about them. :)
Although this has nothing to do with pickles (that will have to be another post), it is a recipe of Nanny's that is easy to make and delightfully scrumptious as well!
I've made these cupcakes a few times now and everytime they taste great and are difficult to stay away from! ....I've already eaten two.

Grocery list:

1 egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of margarine

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons of milk

1.5 cups of flour

2 bananas

Directions:

1. Beat one egg and add vanilla;
2. In a different bowl cream margarine and sugar;

3. Add the beaten egg and vanilla and mix well;

4. In a different bowl mix baking soda and milk and then add to the other and mix well;

5. Mash bananas and then add to the mixture, mixing well;

6. Add flour and mix well.

Grease your muffin tins; or use muffin papers. Fill the tins 2/3 full - makes 12. FYI: If you want to double the batch, you would need to make 2 seperate batches.

Bake for 15 minutes @ 335. When you can place a toothpick into the center of the cupcake and it comes out clean - they are done!

Date Night - Steak with Shrooms and Shallots & Warm Dijon Potato Salad

2009-01-18T07:38:00.009-05:00

I know it doesn’t look very exciting from first glance but if you look closely you will see something…..You will see that this was an evening where the table was set for 2 not 4. This was an evening with candle light and flowers. This was an evening with real placemats and napkins and not the regular Dora and Princess plastic mats. This was an evening with wine. This was an evening with great food and better company. This was “date night” and it was much deserved and much needed by both hubby and I.

Our Menu:
Marinated Steak
White Wine Mushrooms and Shallots
Warm Dijon Potato Salad

The Grocery List

Steak:

2 strip steaks (or really any steak will do because the marinade rocks)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons minced onion
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all of the ingredients in a zip lock bag, toss in the steaks, seal the bag - don't forget to remove all of the air! Smoosh the steak around in the marinade and let it hang in the fridge until you are ready to get cooking.

White Wine Mushrooms and Shallots

3/4 lbs cremini mushrooms (if you aren't a fancy chick use plain old white mushrooms, I did)
3 Shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
1 bunch of scallions aka green onion, green parts (white parts are used in the potato recipe)

Warm Dijon Potato Salad (this one is adapted from Rachel Ray "Just in Time!"...it's so delicious!!)

1 pound of baby red skin potatoes, cut in half
4 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin Olive Oil)
4 slices of thick cut bacon, chopped (or 6 or 8 if you LOVE bacon and really - who doesn't LOVE bacon?)
1 bunch of scallions, white parts
3 tbsp white wine vinegar (or rice vinegar)
6 tbsp dijon mustard
handful of flat leaf parsley (also known as italian parsley)

Cooking It Up:

Start by cooking the potatoes in boiling water until tender (about 12-15 minutes).

Take the steaks out of the fridge, they are best if cooked at room temperature - nothing worse than tough chewy steak (I promise this won't be!)

Preheat your grill to high heat, this can be your outdoor BBQ or your indoor counter top grill.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsps of EVOO, add the bacon. Cook until almost crisp, add the white part of the scallions, lower the heat and cook for 7 minutes until very tender. Add the vinegar (stand back!) to deglaze the pan. Whisk in the Dijon. Add the potatoes and leave on low to hang out and absorb the flavors.

After you add the scallions in the above step, place the steaks on the grill. Hubby likes his cooked for 7-8 minutes to give him a medium-rare steak, i like mine cooked for 10-12 minutes to give me a well done steak. Let the steak sit for a solid 5 minutes before you slice it into strips.

While the steaks cook, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of EVOO in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the muchrooms and shallots and cook for 7 minutes, add the wine and let it reduce for 1 or 2 minutes. Add the butter and turn off the heat. Scatter green part of the scallions over the top. (to be honest I don't add the butter because I'm trying to be a little bit health conscious and I really don't miss it when I leave it out but it does make the sauce a bit smoother)

Slice the Steak against the grain, top with the White Wine Mushrooms and Shallots. Serve the Warm Dijon Potato Salad alongside.

Enjoy!

Not Just Any Tuna Melt!

2009-01-17T18:28:00.003-05:00

I can't say that I've ever had a Tuna Melt before; and I really wasn't sure I'd like it. But I must say....it was surprising good! And seems fancier, or more decadent than it's name....
MS was sure he wouldn't like it; the ingredients were too much for him, he thought Tuna and Cheese...that's all you need; ugh, not cheese wiz? But after he tasted it, he too was pleasantly surprised!
A simple sandwich; with great flavour.

Ingredients:
1 can water packed tuna, drained and flaked
1 small onion, minced
4 tablespoons of Cheese Wiz
3 tablespoons of Mayo
2 tablespoons of pickle relish
1 tablespoon of mustard

Mix all ingredients together.

This...like any recipe probably is also tweekable -- I used 3 tbls of Cheese Wiz and 2 of Mayo...and cut up sweet pickles that I had; and dijon mustard (because I couldn't for the life of me find the mustard..which was apparently directly in front of me in the fridge...ugh)

Oven 350 degrees; Spoon into rolls or onto a bun - I put it into sub buns; Wrap the bun into aluminum foil, place on a cooking rack and bake for 20 minutes.

I had to leave it in the oven a bit longer, it was 'just' warm after 20 minutes and should be hot!

Remove and serve....eat and enjoy! :)

Maple Chicken Curry

2009-01-14T19:42:00.004-05:00

This recipe is a popular item in my City at a local restaurant. It is very rich in flavour, so I find you can't eat too much of it. But I love it! I love maple syrup and I love all things sugar - so the sweet maple with the curry flavour is delicious. Although MS (Mainsqueeze) didn't enjoy it as much as I did, he doesn't enjoy curry, but he did eat it anyhow, although he is not looking forward to me making it again, and suggested I wait until he is away. ;)

It mirrors the restaurant's recipe very well, although slightly different, and not as sweet I found, it is deliciously close!!

It isn't overly 'healthy' in the sense if you are on a diet and trying to watch calories. But there are ways to go around the butter and cream. I've heard of people using flour and milk. I used half milk and half cream and a tablespoon of butter and found it to be very flavourful. I think this is a recipe where you can tweek here and there and still remain with some great flavour so long as you have the maple syrup and curry. For instance, all those peppers are not necessary either, all we had were green - and that's what we used, it's more for look than anything. I also used curry powder (Epicure spice) because this is what I had on hand, but I would like to try the curry paste next time - for the spicyness, I like a good spice!

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast meat
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 tablespoons hot curry paste

DIRECTIONS
Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and peppers, and cook until onions are soft and translucent. Stir in cooked chicken and garlic, and sprinkle with sugar. Cook, stirring for about 3 minutes, then stir in maple syrup, and cook for about 5 more minutes, until caramelized.
Stir in curry paste and heavy cream, and reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce reaches your desired thickness.