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Showing posts from 2011

Homemade hamburgers

4 links of organic turkey-sundried tomato sausages, meat only-no casing 1 lb. lean ground been 1/2 large red bell pepper, diced 1/2 large purple onion, chopped fine 2 large eggs 24 multigrain crackers, crushed 2 tbsp cayenne pepper 6 tbsps hickory smoked barbecue sauce 4 tbsp organic hemp hearts Salt and pepper to taste 6 large balls of goat cheese (about 1 tbsp) Mix all ingredients except the goat cheese in a large bowl well.  Form large thick round balls(approximately 4 to 5 inches diameter).  Slowly press flat between palms.  Using thumb, make an indentation in the center, leaving still about 1/2 inch of meat, place goat cheese ball here.  Take a piece of the mixture and flatten it and cover the goat cheese, pressing the meat down against the patty, sealing the cheese in the center. Over medium high heat, on a hot griddle, place the patty and cook until the brown starts to creep halfway up the side, you may have to lower the heat to keep the patty from burning, but y

White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake

Melting the white chocolate over simmering water Mixing the room temperature cream cheese and adding the chocolate Oreo cookie crumbs mixed with toasted pecans and toasted pumpkin seeds blended then mixed with 1/4 cup of melted butter. Fresh out of the oven the top has several cracks.  The inside wasn't done quite enough so the sides got browner than I like. A white chocolate ganache, garnished with pecans. Thinking that I am going to have to toast those pecans before I go to the party tonight.  But I was too tired last night.

The Last Supper

Today, I am getting prepared for the last Christmas dinner that the Fraser Valley Rhododendron Society will be hosting.  It's a potluck dinner we do for the last meeting of the year.  I have been a member of the cluib for about 8 or 9 years when my best friends, Fred and Jill got me involved due to us having a five acre parcel in Whonnock, which I wanted to cover in Rhododendrons of all shapes and sizes and colours.  That of course didn't work out.  However, I stayed involved and over the last three years was the secretary of the club taking and maintaining the minutes and records. Due to an ever aging and decreasing membership and the same members doing a rotating annual duty on the executive, the vote was taken at the last Extraordinary General meeting to dissolve the club, donate their remaining funds to a couple of worthy causes and thus, Monday, November 28th, the last supper shall occur. I am taking a cornbread stuffing in a casserole dish that will have roasted pumpkin s

perogies or pierogi or varenaki

My grandmother was Russian.  She was smuggled out in a suitcase when she was three years old, strapped to the bottom of a boxcar along with the rest of her family escaping from the Bolshevik revolution.  She used to make varenaki or what we now call perogies.  The russian perogie is a sweet bun made with yeast.  I had forgotten what she called them until I saw it in a recipe today. I've decided to make some homemade perogies, but with a twist.  Going to put sweet potatoes with bacon and onion inside, instead of regular potatoes.  I'll let you know how they turn out.

Artichoke Dip

1/2 brick of cream cheese 1/2 cup of miracle whip dressing 1/4 cup soft goat cheese 1/2 cup grated parmesan 2 artichoke hearts (chopped fine) 1 tbsp sundried tomatoes (chopped) 1/4 cup grated mozzarella 1/2 tsp cardamon Dash of lemon juice salt and pepper to taste Optional adders: 1/3 cup frozen spinach (thawed, drained and chopped fine) or 1/4 cup small shrimp (chopped) or 4 tbsps smoked salmon (chopped) or 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese or 4 tbsps diced red bell pepper (I like the bell pepper, it adds a hint of sweetness, color and crunch.  I find the spinach makes it too watery.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.  Melt cream cheese and goat cheese in mircowave for about 45 seconds to one minute.  With a fork or wooden spoon, mix in remaining ingredients.  Choose an optional adder to mix in or leave as is. Place mixture in a small shallow casserole dish or large ramekin style dish and place in oven for 15 to 20 minutes.  If desired, sprinkle grated mozzarella an

Salmon Canneloni

I thought I had posted this previously, but looking at the archives, I couldn't find it.  I've been meaning to post this now for about three weeks, but I seldom follow a recipe, so it changes each time I make it.  I wrote this one down as I made it to provide to the Rhododendron Society for their newsletter, then couldn't find it.  FINALLY found this to share. (I double the recipe because they all loved it so much) Salmon Canneloni Filling: 5 - 1/4 artichoke hearts chopped 1/2 medium onion diced 3 garlic cloves, crushed and diced 1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese 1 213 gram can sockeye salmon Sauce: 1 pkg Alfredo Sauce mix 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup 1% milk 1/4 cup margarine 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 1 900 gram box Catelli Express Cannelloni Mix all filling ingredients well. Using a teaspoon, fill the Catelli Express cannelloni tubes and lay side by side inside a shallow glass baking dish. Mix the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a low boil. Whisk con

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Crust 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 1 cup oreo cookie crumbs 1/4 cup pecans 4 tbsp walnuts 5 tbsp pumpkin seeds 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla 4 tbsp margarine or butter Mix well in a blender all ingredients. Place in bottom of spring form pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. Let cool on cooling rack. Keep oven at 350. Filling 3 - 8 ounce pkg of cream cheese 1 cup sugar 1 cup canned pumpkin - unsweetened 3 eggs 4 squares white chocolate, melted 1 tsp vanilla 1 dash of nutmeg 1 tsp cinnamon Cream together first two ingredients. Melt white chocolate squares over a double boiler, if you do not have a double boiler, a glass bowl over water slightly rolling, but not a full boil will suffice. Then add remaining ingredients and blend well until smooth. Pour into spring form pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour until top of cake starts to crack. Let cool for five minutes. Run knife around the edge of the s

BBQ Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash 3 large carrots 2 large parsnips 1 leek 1 cup Chardonnay wine 4 cups water 2 cups whipping/heavy cream 1 tbsp dried basil 1 tsp ground cloves dash nutmeg 2 tsp sea salt dash pepper Cut squash in half lengthwise and hollow out seeds with a spoon. Poke several holes in it with a fork. Heat barbecue up to 500 degrees, then turn burners down off on half of the barbecue and on the other side, place a pie plate with apple wood chips that have soaked in water for at least two hours. (I put some water in the pie plate as well). Leave this half of the bbq on medium heat. On the upper rack place the butternut squash over the side that is turned off allowing the smoke from the apple wood to circulate over the squash. This also allows the squash to cook without burning. After 30 minutes of this, add the peeled carrots and peeled parsnip beside the squash. I added a bit more water to the pie plate of wood chips as they were burning rather than smoking. I allowe

Peanut Butter Chicken

Peanut Butter Chicken  - originally published here Nov 17, 2010 - also published on the Canadian Living Magazine website Ingredients 8 chicken thighs 1 royal gala apple 8 tsp tsp(34 mL) smooth peanut butter 1 cup(250 mL) orange juice 1 tbsp(15 mL) red wine vinegar 1pinch salt 1 pinch pepper 1 tsp(5 mL) cumin 1 tsp(5 mL) tumeric 1 tsp (5 mL) coriander 1 tbsp (15 mL) margarine or olive oil Preparation: Cut apple into 8 slices, having removed the core and seeds. Open chicken thighs, place one slice of apple in the centre of each thigh. Place one teaspoon of peanut butter into the centre of each thigh. Roll thigh around apple/peanut butter. Close with one or two toothpicks. Heat margarine/oil in large non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Place all the thighs into the hot pan toothpick side up. Brown thighs, then using tongs turn thighs to each side until brown then to the top side. Once they are browned all the way around, add the orange juice and red-wine vinegar. Sim

Dessert

fresh strawberries, sliced fresh peaches, cut into pieces frozen blueberries, thawed goat cheese, crumbled strawberry-fig balsamic reduction mix strawberries, peaches, blueberries, and goat cheese in a bowl.  microwave for 30 seconds, stir and mircowave for another 30 seconds.  Drizzle balsamic reduction over fruit. 

Cooking with Orange juice

My friend Stephen in New Jersey teases me because I like to cook things in orange juice.  I have cooked yams sliced up in orange juice and I like to use it to cook rice in once in a while.  When I do the rice, I use: Two cups of orange juice, 1 cup of washed basmati rice (yes, I rinse it under cold water using a sieve), I add 1 tbsp of butter, A dash of salt (I would use about a teaspoon, but I'm supposed to be cutting back because of the high blood pressure) Then depending on my mood I will add various complimentary spices such as: 2 tablespoons of mild to medium curry or 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger or 1 teaspoon of hot pepper seeds or 2 teaspoons of tumeric and cumin

Chili with zucchini

1 lb lean ground beef 1 medium onion, diced 1 sweet red bell pepper, diced 1 stalk celery, finely diced 1 small zucchini, quartered and sliced 1/2 cup frozen green peas 1 - 796 ml can of whole tomatoes 1 - 156 ml can of tomato paste 1 - 540 ml can dark red kidney beans 1 - 396 ml can black beans 1/4 cup hummus 2 tbsp chili powder 2 tbsp cayenne pepper 1 tbsp paprika 1/4 cup hickory smoked barbecue sauce 4 medium mushrooms sliced (optional) Brown ground beef, breaking it into small pieces.  Add onion and celery and saute for 7 minutes.  Add the red pepper, green peas and zucchini and saute for another five minutes.  Add the tomatoes and beans and tomato paste, stir well.  Add hummus and seasonings and barbecue sauce, stir until well blended.  Cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes.  Add mushrooms if desired and cook for another 10 minutes.  Top each bowlful with grated Old (sharp) Cheddar and serve with baking powder biscuits.

Green Beans

I experimented yesterday with green beans.  Not sure if you might have picked up on this, but I absolutely dislike "plain" foods.  Everything I eat, I like flavored.  If someone else makes dinner and does rice plain, I have to put some kind of sauce on it, (soy, bbq, plum)......same with most of my vegetables, too many years of plain or overcooked veggies. about a cup and a half green beans, topped and tailed Steam the green beans lightly, so they are still crisp. Mix 1/4 cup soy sauce with 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp diced ginger and 1 tbsp diced fresh garlic. Pour over the beans and stir.  They were even better after sitting in the mix for 20 minutes.

Bruschetta

Bruschetta 10 slices of whole wheat baguette 3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled, crushed and diced 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, diced 1 green onion, diced 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil 8 grape tomatoes, quartered 1/2 roma tomato, diced 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp olive oil five small slices of havarti five small slices of boccocinni On a cookie sheet, toast the baguette slices for 4 to 5 minutes at 375 degrees.  Remove from oven and dab on the olive oil with pastry brush.  Mix all of the freshly chopped vegetables in a small bowl, stir in the balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  Place a spoonful of the mixture on each baguette slice.  Place a piece of cheese over each mix. Bake in the oven at 375 until the cheese is melted.

Stir fry

I love summer fresh vegetables.  As a kid, I was one of those picky fussy eaters who refused anything different.  Looking back, I'm thinking my mother did her best to make the veggies interesting.  One of my favorites now was her stuffed zucchini..... just sliced them in half lengthwise, hollowed out the seeds and then put a hearty tomato meat sauce in them, sprinkled parmesan, bread crumb mixture on that and baked them for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender to a fork. Last night, I sliced up zucchini, carrots, celery, baby bok choy, red onions, green onions, bamboo shoots, turkey breast cutlets, red peppers, and tossed them all in the wok.  I started with the turkey breast pieces, made sure they were cooked through, then added the celery, carrots and bamboo shoots.  I didn't want to add too much oil so only used a tablespoonful for the meat, then after the hard veggies were in added a spoonful of white wine.  Once the celery had changed color, I added the rest of the veggies a

BBQ Individual Meatloaf

My mom used to make these when I was a teenager. I loved them as a kid. Now I've made them for my kids and they love them too. Sauce 1 cup ketchup 1 small onion (finely chopped) 1/4 cup vinegar 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard Meat Loaves 1 cup dry breadcrumbs 1 medium onion 2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1/4 cup ketchup 2 eggs, slightly beaten 2 pounds lean ground beef To make sauce, combine all sauce ingredients. To make meatloaves, combine meat loaf ingredients, mixin thoroughly. Shape into 6 loaves, put into a lightly greased baking pan. I spray a 13"x9" glass pan with Pam. Brush with sauce to completely cover each loaf. Bake in a moderate oven at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes. Baste during baking with remaining sauce. Makes 6 servings. ( I put all the sauce on to completely cover the loaves prior to baking so I do not usually have any sauce for

Meat Pie

I remember back when I was a kid and we used to live in Lytton, BC (used to be called the Hotspot of Canada, though I think Osoyoos has stolen the title).  About once a month, we'd all pile into the suburban and head down to Vancouver.  This was a three to four hour trip. When I was in grade six we moved to Taylor BC.  (Yes, the same town on CBC TV going through Village on a Diet).  The trip from Taylor to Vancouver was over 13 hours.  Sometimes they would stop at Lytton for a break, but sometimes it was straight through.  Bathroom breaks consisted of a bush on the side of the road.  Lunch and dinner was whatever mother had made for us.  Thus today's topic - Meat pie. That was one of her staples for long road trips.  She made hers on a cookie sheet.  Pastry covered in a thin layer of regular ground beef, some form of gravy and peas, then covered in pastry.  We never got to eat it warm, it was always saved for the road trips and eaten cold.  I remember a couple of times they act

Chicken Cacciatore

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, diced 1 onion, diced 4 carrots, peeled and julienned 1/2 cup frozen green peas 650 ml bottle marinara sauce 14 oz can diced tomatoes 1/2 cup red wine Brown chicken in margarine or oil until well browned.  Add diced onion, carrots, peas, and jalapeno pepper.  Stir for 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes and tomato sauce and red wine.  Simmer over medium low heat for 25 minutes.  Serve over medium broad egg noodles.

Dark Chocolate/Blackberry Port Ganache

1/2 cup blackberry port 3 squares dark chocolate 1/4 cup condensed milk 1/4 cup margarine/butter 3/4 cup sour cream 1 tbsp honey In a small saucepan, simmer the port, reducing it on low heat to roughly half the volume. About 20 minutes. In a glass bowl placed over pot of simmering water, place chocolate squares and stirring constantly melt over low heat.  Remove bowl from pot and set aside. In a small saucepan, melt margarine, then add sour cream, condensed milk and honey.  Stir over low heat combining with a whisk.  Heat for ten minutes. Remove from heat.  Add sour cream mixture to chocolate and whisk together.  Then add reduced port and whisk until well blended.  Pour over favorite dessert, such as white chocolate/dark chocolate swirl cheesecake.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Cheese Roll Ups

This was just an off the cuff idea I had for yesterdays complement to the spaghetti dinner I made for the kids.  They loved it, so with that kind of review, I'm happy to pass it on. 10 inch cheese tortillas ricotta cheese garlic hummus medium hot salsa Spread ricotta cheese across the entire tortilla.  Then spread hummus across the ricotta.  In the center of the tortilla, leave about 2 tablespoons of the salsa in a line across the center.  Roll the tortilla up, keeping the mixture inside.  Place on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 350 for about 15 to 20 minutes. 

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Garlic Peri-Peri Rice with Chicken with Yams & Carrots

Garlic Peri-Peri Wild Rice with Beans 1 180 gram pkg Uncle Bens Long Grain and Wild Rice 1/2 cup Basmati Rice 2 cups low sodium chicken broth 1 1/2 cups water 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 14 oz can dark red kidney beans 1 tsp dried ground dried basil 2 tbsp Nando's garlic peri-peri sauce Bring water and chicken broth with salt to a boil.  Add rice, beans, basil and peri-peri sauce to boiling rice and lower temperature to medium low. Stir occasionally and then after 25 minutes lower to low stirring more often to make sure that it doesn't stick.  Chicken with Yams and Carrots 4 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut up into mouth sized pieces) 1/2 large white onion (diced) 1/2 large yam (peeled and diced) 3 large carrots (peeled and sliced) 1/2 red bell pepper diced 1/4 cup low sodium beef broth 2 tbsp canola oil 1 10 oz can Campbells Cream of Chicken soup 1/4 cup Butter chicken sauce 1/4 cup tomato juice 1/2 cup water 1 tbsp medium curry powder 1 tsp dried b

Hamburger stew variation

1 lb. lean ground beef 1/2 onion diced 1/2 large yam diced 2 carrots diced 1/2 cup frozen peas 1/2 cup frozen corn 1 1/2 cups beef broth (NOT oxo cubes) 1/2 cup tomato juice 1/4 cup 2% evaporated milk 1/4 cup dry red wine 1 tbsp curry powder 1 tbsp dried oregano salt and pepper to taste Fry hamburger in large skillet.  Once browned all the way through, drain and set aside.  In skillet, saute onions, carrots, and yam for 10 minutes.  Add beef back into skillet and stir in flour.  Stir in barbecue sauce, curry powder, oregano.  Then slowly stir in beef broth.  Simmer for 10 minutes, then add evaporated milk, red wine and tomato juice.  Stir and simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes until at a consistency that you desire. I like mine a little thicker, some like theirs thinner.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve over rice.

Not sure what to call this

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts 2 whole wheat 10 inch tortillas 1 cup dry cubed bread crumbs 1/2 onion diced 1/2 red bell pepper diced 1 - 10 oz can cream of celery soup 1 tbsp dried sweet basil 4 tbsp canola oil Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Heat oil in large frying pan. Mix bread crumbs, onion, pepper, soup and basil together. Filet the chicken breast so that it is flat and place it on the tortilla.  Place several large spoonfuls of the soup mixture on the center of the chicken breast.  Fold the tortilla and chicken over to create a sandwich.  Place tortilla/chicken into hot oil and fry for 3 minutes, turn tortilla/chicken over and fry for another three minutes. Remove tortilla/chicken from frying pan and place into a 13x9 inch shallow casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Place casserole dish into oven and bake for 25 minutes. Serve with brown curried rice.

Banana Bread with Blueberries

Banana Bread with Blueberries 1 1/4 cups sugar 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 2 large eggs 1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 medium) 1/2 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries 1. Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottoms only of two 8x4 inch loaf pans or one 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. 2. In large bowl, stir sugar and butter until well mixed. Stir in eggs until well mixed. Stir in bananas, buttermilk and vanilla; beat with spoon until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in blueberries. Divide batter evenly between 8 inch pans or pour into 9 inch pans. 3. Bake 8 inch loaves about 1 hour, 9 inch loaf about 1 hour 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on wire rack. 4. Loosen sides of loave