Baking for the Christmas Grinch!

I tire quickly of Christmas commercialism and some would even call me a Grinch! My enthusiastic daughter started Christmas baking for the freezer (we only ate the broken pieces ;-)... Here are the recipes she made this weekend.

Shortbreads
Molasses Crinkles
Pink Squares
Lemon Squares
Christmas Cake
Sugar Cookies

Danish Hindbaerkager

These simple and delicious bar cookies are a family favourite.

1 cup shortening (no butter)
2/3 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
2-2/3 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup thick jam

Glaze (optional)

1/2 cup icing sugar
1 to 2 tsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Cream shortening and sugar. add eggs. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk. Beat until smooth. Divide dough in 6 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 10 inch rope, 3/4 of an inch in diameter. Using a wooden spoon, make a groove down the centre of the rope. Bake at 375F for 7 minutes. Remove from oven. Spoon jam into grooves. Bake five minutes longer.
Cool 10 minutes. Drizzle glaze over warm cookies. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut cookies diagonally into 1 inch strips (You may have to eat the ends!)
Makes 5 dozen cookies. Cool completely before storing. They freeze well, but also taste good frozen. ;-)

Lemon Squares

Tart and sweet, easy and delicious. I have also tasted them made with lime juice.

Base:
1 cup butter
2 cups flour
1/2 cup icing sugar

Mix ingredients until crumbly. Press into a 9x13 greased pan.
Bake at 350F for 20 minutes until light brown.

Filling:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
6 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Beat eggs, add sugar, lemon juice, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until well blended. Pour over warm base. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes. When cooled, sprinkle with icing sugar and cut into squares.

Pictured here.

Pink Squares (Coconut Graham Squares)

We always make these with pink icing, so they are pink squares!

Base:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp flour

Mix together and press into a 9x13 inch pan
Bake at 275F for 12 minutes

Filling:
Mix one tin of sweetened condensed milk and 2 cups shredded coconut together
Spread over warm base. You may need to wet a knife with warm water to spread it.
Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes, until coconut is slightly browned

Icing:
2 cups icing sugar
4 tbsp butter
3 tbsp milk
food colouring if desired

Pictured here.

Sugar Cookies

This is a very easy recipe from Kraft Kitchens

Cream together

8 oz cream cheese
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar

Add

2-3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda

Mix dough and form into 3-4 balls. Chill in the fridge for 1/2 hour or more.
Roll out to 1/8 inch thickness, cut into shapes
Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned
Ice cookies before serving.

Icing

3 tablespoons butter
2 cups icing sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk or cream

Baked Potato Fries

Slice three to four large white or sweet potatoes into sticks. I leave the scrubbed skins on. Place in a large bowl and add 2 tablespoons of good oil. (I use extra virgin olive oil) Stir with a spoon to allow oil to coat the potatoes. Place on a baking sheet. This number of potatoes is enough for a 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes until potatoes are tender and starting to brown. I turn the potatoes with a spatula half way through cooking.
Sprinkle with salt and desired seasonings and serve hot.

Cottage Cheese and Spinach Gratin

This recipe is copied directly from a site called Seasonal Chef.
I adjusted it a little and the changes are in italics. It was delicious.

Cottage Cheese and Spinach Gratin

Vegetable oil for the baking dish
1 pound spinach (about 2 bunches)
5 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dill seeds (omit)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (omit)
2 cups small-curd cottage cheese (nonfat or low-fat is fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit)
Freshly ground black pepper

Added 1 chopped scallion

1. Warm marinara sauce or grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously oil an 8-by-10-inch gratin dish or a 9-inch square baking pan.

3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the spinach with the water clinging to its leaves, tossing frequently, until the spinach is barely wilted. (Not all the spinach will fit into the skillet at first. Add some first, then as it cooks down, add the rest.) Press out the liquid from the wilted spinach and reserve it in a measuring cup. Finely chop the spinach.

4. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, parsley, dill, coriander, cottage cheese, salt and a little pepper. Stir in the chopped spinach and 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid and mix well. Pour into the prepared dish and bake until set, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. To serve, cut into diamonds or squares. Top with warm marinara sauce and/or grated cheese.

Vegetable Biryani

This recipe is in the October 2007 issue of Canadian Living. October is Vegetarian Awareness Month so they have featured a number of meatless dishes. This one was delicious!...even better the next day.

3/4 cup dried green lentils
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp curry paste (Biryani if you have it)
2 cups small cauliflower florets
1 cup basmati rice
1/4 cup raisins
2-1/4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup green peas
1/4 cup toasted, sliced almonds

Cook lentils for 15 minutes in a saucepan of boiling water. Drain and set aside.
In a wok or dutch oven, heat oil and saute onions until golden. Add carrots, garlic, curry paste and saute 3 minutes. Stir in cauliflower, rice, raisins and lentils.
Add stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice and vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in peas and warm through. Sprinkle with almonds.

Variation: Add 2 cubed chicken breasts with the onions.

Peach Raisin Chutney

I found this recipe in a Canadian Living magazine a few years ago and have made it a couple of times. Becka asked me to make it again as it is a favourite of hers. Thank goodness Canadian Living has an excellent recipe collection on the web. If I had only one magazine subscription, it would be for this one. The recipes are not too fancy, but are trendy and tasty. I have copied and pasted from the site.

Chutneys add the spice of life to cold meats, and their sweet and sour edges are rounded off nicely with cheese, especially a cream cheese or a buttery Jarlsberg.

Ingredients

• 8 cups (2 L) Sliced peeled peaches (3-1/2 lb/1.75 kg) • 2 cups (500 mL) Packed brown sugar • 2 cups (500 mL) Chopped onions • 2 cups (500 mL) Raisins • 2 cups (500 mL) Cider vinegar • 1/2 cup (125 mL) Diced sweet red pepper • 2 tsp (10 mL) Mustard seeds • 1 tsp (5 mL) Salt • 1/2 tsp (2 mL) Each turmeric, cinnamon, curry powder, ground cumin and coriander • Pinch cayenne pepper

Preparation

In large heavy nonaluminum pot, combine peaches, sugar, onions, raisins, vinegar, red pepper, mustard seeds, salt, turmeric, cinnamon, curry powder, cumin, coriander and cayenne; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, stirring often, for 1 hour or until thickened and toffee-brown in colour. Remove from heat. Pour into eight 1-cup (250 mL) canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch (1 cm) headspace. Seal with prepared discs and bands. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Nutritional information

Per tbsp (15 mL): about 30 calories; trace protein; 0 g fat; 7 g carbohydrate.

Wild Grape Jelly

Wild grapes grow abundantly along the Grand River's trails and the fruit is ripe now. RuthieJ posted a link to a recipe from Canadian Living magazine for wild grape jelly. I did not have liquid pectin, so had to modify the recipe a little. Powdered pectin is added to the mixture earlier in the process than liquid pectin. Here is the method I used.

3 pounds wild grapes

I did not take the grapes off the stems, but I trimmed the stems as much as possible.
Put in a large pot with

3 cups water

Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes until grapes are soft. I mashed them with a potato masher at this point.
Place cooked grapes in a colander lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth and drain overnight. I got 3-1/2 cups of grape juice and added 1/2 cup water to make 4 cups liquid.

Put 4 cups juice in a sauce pan and add 1 package of Certo powder. Bring to a boil and add 5 cups sugar. Bring to a boil again and boil hard for 1 minute. Skim off foam and place in sterilized jars with 2 piece lids. Process in a canner for 5 minutes if using 1 cup jars.

Makes 8 cups grape jelly that is really, really good!

Grandma's Chili Sauce

6 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes
2 cups finely chopped onions
2 cups each chopped apples, pears, peaches
1 cup diced celery
2 sweet green peppers, diced
1 red pepper, sweet or hot seeded and diced
1-1/2 cup white or cider vinegar
1 tbsp pickling spice placed in a tea ball, or tied in a cheesecloth bag
2 tsp pickling salt
2 cups granulated sugar

Combine all ingredients except sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours. Add sugar and simmer for another 1/2 hour until desired thickness is obtained. Stir occasionally. Watch that the sauce does not stick, especially toward the end of cooking.

Place in hot canning jars. Process for 20 minutes in canner.

Makes 8 cups. ( I got just under 12 cups of sauce today after 2 hours and 15 minutes of cooking. I could have simmered it more with the lid off to make it thicker, but last year I scorched the pan and had to throw out some of the batch. Today's sauce is really good and is thick enough for me)

From the book Small Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard (a great book!)

Goulash Soup with Vegetarian Option

I had goulash soup at our local Christkindl Market and analyzed the ingredients closely. This is my adaptation of this spicy dish. I serve it with fresh spaetzle.

Cube 2 pounds of beef round into 2 cm dice
Dredge in flour and brown in oil in a large soup pot.

Add
1-2 onions, diced finely
1- 28 oz tin of diced tomatoes
4 cups of beef broth
3-5 cloves of finely diced garlic
1-2 tbsp of paprika
bay leaf, marjoram, thyme, oregano, hot pepper flakes to taste

Simmer for 1½ to 2 hours until meat is tender

Add
4 diced potatoes
4 average carrots, diced
1 large green pepper, diced

Simmer until vegetables are cooked

Vegetarian Option:
Sept 1/07

I modified this recipe and am very pleased with the vegetarian option:

Cook 1 diced onion and 2 cloves of garlic in a tbsp of oil until softened. Add 1 tbsp flour to onion mixture and 2 cups of vegetable broth. I added 1 tsp Marmite for a richer flavour.

Add tomatoes, green peppers, potato, carrot and seasonings as above. Add salt to taste.
Simmer until vegetables are done.

I added one drained tin of kidney beans. Tofu, soy crumbles or other beans could be added instead, but it is very tasty and thick even without the beans.

Serve over noodles or rice.

Shredded Beef

My daughter called and asked for this recipe. It is a family creation, with no specific measures.

Beef roast and/or pork roast approx 2-3 pounds
We use pork tenderloin or beef round rather than fattier cuts. If you don't like hot peppers, use more tomato or sweet chili sauce.

Put in crockpot with

1- 28 oz tin diced tomatoes
1 cup canned salsa or chili sauce
pickled or canned hot peppers if desired

Cook in crockpot until meat shreds. Add more liquid or salsa during cooking to keep meat moist.
If you slice or dice the meat before cooking, it will finish faster. I usually cook this overnight for 8-10 hours.

Serve on buns, in tacos or over rice or noodles.

Whole Grain Tabouleh

This recipe is from the cookbook Simply in Season. You can be creative with this dish.

Prepare 1 cup uncooked bulgar, quinoa, or couscous according to package directions. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool. You should have at least 2 cups or more of the cooked grain.

Add
1/4 c green onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, mint or parsley
1 cup chopped vegetables: cucumbers, sweet peppers, diced summer squash
1 cup chickpeas (optional)

2 tbsp lemon or lime juice (preferably fresh)
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Mix and pour over salad.
Yields 6 cups

Blanc Mange

This is Blancmange playing tennis in a Monty Python movie.
(Monty Python is too bizarre for me, but I will never forget this very random scene...but then, the entire movie is random!)

My daughter asked me for this recipe so it is posted for her. She ate a lot of this when growing up. I seldom bought boxed puddings and made this instead with a number of variations.

Blanc Mange is a traditional European dish that started as a bland, milky meal with chicken that was served to invalids. It then evolved onto a dessert like flan, made with milk and egg that was set in a molded dish. It now refers to a pudding made with cornstarch or flour. It could be made stiff enough to be molded, but we like ours to be creamier. Here is the basic idea for a modern version using a microwave oven.

In a microwave proof dish combine

3 tbsp cornstarch (or flour)
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup sugar or sweetener

Add 2-1/2 cups milk (regular or soy)
It is easier to blend if the milk has been warmed, but I don't do this.
You can thin the pudding with extra milk after it has cooked to reach the desired consistency

Cook in microwave. I set it at 50% power for about 3-5 minutes.
Stir the pudding every minute. Remove after it thickens.
Add 1 tbsp butter (optional) and 1/2 tsp vanilla to the thickened pudding.

Variations:

Chocolate: Add 2-3 tbsp cocoa to sugar and cornstarch mixture. Use the greater amount of sugar.

Maple: Add 1/2 cup maple syrup instead of the sugar

Rice pudding: Add 1-2 cups cooked rice to thickened pudding. Add raisins and cinnamon if desired.

For a richer pudding with a custardy flavour, add one well beaten egg to the hot mixture. Stir a little of the hot pudding into the egg before adding the egg to the dish. You may have to return the pudding to the microwave for 15-30 seconds to set the egg.

"Mexican" Cheesecake

This is Mom's recipe which she learned in Mexico. I love cheesecakes, preferably plain, and flans served with fresh fruit or fruit sauce. A rich New York cheesecake, with lots of cream cheese, eggs and sour cream, is only an occasional indulgence. This cake is flavourful and low fat as well. Mom bakes it in a graham cracker crust, but I just put it in a cheesecake pan with no crust.

1 1/2 cups dry curd cottage cheese (I buy this in a 500 gram package in the dairy section, so I really use 2 cups)
4 eggs
1 tin sweetened condensed milk
3 tbsp lemon juice

Mix all ingredients until smooth in a blender or with beaters.
Pour into a 8"-9" cheesecake pan or deep pie dish.

Bake at 350 F until set, about 40 -50 minutes.
Chill before serving.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are a family favourite and are just as quick to make as a trip to the store to buy cookies.

1 cup butter
3/4 to 1 cup brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup white sugar

Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in until smooth

2 eggs

In another bowl mix together

2 cups flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 tsp salt (these may need no salt if using salted butter)
1 tsp baking soda

Stir into butter mixture. Add

1-2 cups pure chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, or whatever.

Place on a cookie sheet by spoonfuls and bake in preheated oven (375F) for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and set.

Fried Tofu and Spicy Peanut Sauce

This recipe is not for the meat-loving men in the family, but my daughters love tofu, especially fried. We enjoy Viet-Thai cuisine including their vegetarian options. This recipe turned out well and was still good the next day, even though the crispy edges had softened. It is adapted from the recipe on the side of the President's Choice tofu package.

1 lb medium firm tofu cut into 6 slices
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup cornstarch
salt to taste

Drain tofu and slice into even pieces. Wrap in a double folded tea towel for 15 minutes and pat dry. Coat tofu lightly with cornstarch and place in oil that has been heated in a frying pan. Fry until crispy and lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes a side. Drain on a paper towel.

Peanut Sauce

We mix this up without measuring it and adjust things until they look and taste right.

1/4 cup all natural peanut butter
2-3 tbsp water
A teaspoon or so of soy sauce and a couple of dashes of hot chili sauce

Mix together until smooth. The sauce should be the consistency of medium gravy. The peanut sauce in the picture above is too thick, but it was tasty.

Serve with rice and vegetables.

Pumpkin Loaf

This is one of our favourite quick breads. The loaf is easy to make, moist, cuts well and keeps well. The recipe can be adapted and changed and is difficult to ruin. I have seen it in a number of cookbooks and magazines over the years with slight variations.

Preheat oven to 350F and prepare two standard loaf pans, either lining them with foil or greasing them.

3-1/3 cups flour (I use half whole wheat)
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups cooked pumpkin or applesauce
1/2 to 1 cup nuts, raisins, cut up dates or combination (optional)

Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the eggs, oil and pumpkin. Stir until well blended. Add fruit/nuts if desired and place in loaf pans.

Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
This recipe also works as muffins. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375F.

Marinated Chicken

BBQ chicken is best marinated ahead of time. Here are two marinades that are delicious in their own way. The first has no added salt, but it gives the chicken great flavour for people who want or need to watch their salt intake. It was given to me by my longtime friend and work mate, Rhonda. The second is HOT HOT HOT...lip burning hot, but we love it. It was invented by my Mexican sister-in-law, Marcela.

Rhonda's Chicken Marinade

1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup oil
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme

Makes enough to marinate 2 lbs chicken. Marinate for several hours or overnight.

Marcela's Chicken Marinade

1/2 cup lime juice (freshly squeezed if available)
1/2 cup pureed chipolte peppers (smoked jalapenos)
I puree a small tin of them in the blender and keep leftovers in the freezer.

Makes enough to marinate 2 lbs of chicken. Marinate for 1-4 hours or longer.

Barbeque chicken or cook on an indoor grill. Serve in buns, on a Caesar salad, or as an entree with vegetables.

Rice Krispie Squares and Variations

There is no easier dessert to take to a potluck or picnic. They are popular with young and old alike.

Basic Rice Krispie Squares

1/4 cup butter
40 large marshmallows or 5 cups of miniatures
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 cups Rice Krispies

Place butter and marshmallows in a large microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, or until the ingredients are puffy and melted. Stir mixture until smooth and add vanilla and cereal. Press into a greased 9x13 pan. Cut into squares when cooled.

Variation: Add 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips to mixture along with the cereal.

Honey Bunches of Oats Squares

1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp butter
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Honey Bunches of Oats cereal

Microwave peanut butter, butter, and marshmallows on high for 1 minute until melted. Stir together until smooth and stir in cereal. Place in greased 9 inch square pan. Cut into squares when cooled. I make a recipe and a half and use a 9x13 pan as I like the bars a little thinner.

Oatmeal Plus

I love breakfast and have the same thing 99% of the time. This breakfast keeps me going until mid-afternoon and I never tire of it. Porridge made poorly is awful, and porridge made well is the best of foods. Too bad so many have had bad breakfast experiences.

Oatmeal for one

1/3 cup large flake oats
3/4 cup water
dash of salt (don't forget it!)
1-1/2 tbsp ground flaxseeds

Place in cereal bowl and cook in microwave on 50% power for 3 minutes.

Add one beaten egg to hot cereal and mix well. Return to microwave for 30 seconds on high to cook the egg.

Serve with fruit and milk. (I use soy milk)

Variations: My daughter uses soy milk instead of water and adds no milk when eating the porridge. She also adds a tablespoon of natural peanut butter instead of the egg.

Three Bean Salad

This is a more traditional bean salad and is fast and easy to make if canned vegetables are used. The flavour improves as it sits. Maybe I should call it 4 bean salad.


1-19 oz tin kidney beans
1-19 oz tin chickpeas
1-14 oz tin green beans
1-14 oz tin yellow beans
1/4 diced onion
1/4 to 1/2 cup diced green or sweet peppers
1 tsp Italian seasoning

Dressing:
1/4 oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp sugar or Splenda (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Drain and rinse beans. Place in medium sized bowl with onion, peppers and seasonings. Mix dressing ingredients together and pour over beans.

Marinated Vegetable Salad

This salad keeps for a few days in the refrigerator. I often make a batch on the weekend and use it for my work lunches. The vegetables can be varied, but should total 6 cups for the amount of dressing described. I used edamame (green soybeans) for extra protein, and put in cauliflower instead of the zucchini I didn't have on hand. Hard vegetables need to be blanched for 4 minutes in boiling water. I love fresh Thai basil and used it instead of parsley.

Basic Recipe:

1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup fresh green or yellow beans cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup fresh snap peas (or edamame)
1 cup sliced zucchini
1 cup sliced yellow summer squash
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced sweet peppers
fresh parsley or other herbs to taste
2 oz pickled olives or jalapenos (optional)

Dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil (original recipe called for 6 tbsp oil)
3 tbsp lemon juice and/or red wine vinegar
1 minced garlic clove
1/8 tsp salt
pepper, sugar if desired

In a large pot of saucepan, bring a few inches of water to a boil. Add carrots, beans and peas and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Mix with other vegetables. Mix dressing ingredients together and pour over vegetables. Marinate at least one hour before serving.

Makes 12 half cup servings.

Pastry

I make this large pastry recipe, divide and wrap it into 7 equal pieces and keep it in the freezer. If you have pastry on hand, a pie is very quick to make. I am trying to use less animal products, but know of no substitute for lard for making the flakiest, melt in your mouth pie crusts. Crisco is not even an option and butter makes a very rich crust.

1 pound lard at room temperature
5-1/2 cups all purpose flour
(I often use half whole wheat flour)

Cut lard into flour with a pastry blender until lard is the size of peas.

Break into measuring cup and beat until blended

1 egg
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar

Add cold water to bring measure to one cup.

Add liquid ingredients to flour and lard and mix into a soft, smooth dough.

Makes enough for 6-8 single pie crusts.

Roasted Spring Vegetables

I watched Nigella Lawson make this dish on TV a couple of years ago. It is a fast and easy dinner to assemble that leaves time to put your feet up for a few minutes before serving time. I don't remember the exact ingredients she used, but it is hard to ruin roasted vegetables.

Drizzle some good olive oil on the bottom of a medium roasting pan. Put a mixture of cut up spring vegetables in to fill the pan about half full. Here are some examples:

Small new potatoes
Asparagus spears
Sweet peppers
Mushrooms
Red or white onion, quartered
Garlic cloves
Courgettes (yellow summer squash)
Zucchini

Drizzle top with olive oil and season to taste with salt, pepper and herbs.

Bake at 400F for 40-50 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Nigella added small bocchini balls that were sliced in half near the end of cooking. This addition makes a complete meal. Garnish with sun dried tomatoes.

Strawberry Shortcake

These are our favourite biscuits for strawberry shortcake. I prefer a good biscuit to a sweet sponge cake for the base of this dessert. Actually, this is what I had for dinner tonight. Sweet indulgence! A no-calorie version is below.

Shortcake Biscuits

Mix together:

1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar or sweetener (optional)
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Cut in with a pastry blender or two knives:

1/2 cup butter

Add:
1 cup soured milk or buttermilk

Stir to make a soft dough. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead gently 8-10 times. Roll out to desired thickness-about 1/2- 3/4 inch thick. Cut with a round cookie cutter. If you use a 2" cutter, you will get about 12 biscuits. We used a 4" cutter and got 7 biscuits. (Remember, this was dinner!)

Bake in a preheated oven at 400F for about 15 minutes

When cooled, split biscuits and fill with fresh sliced strawberries and lightly sweetened REAL whipped cream. Place top of biscuit over berries and cream. Add more whipped cream and strawberries.

No calorie version: Go to farm and pick fresh Ontario strawberries. Walk to corner store to buy fresh butter and cream. Beat whipping cream with hand beaters. Make recipe as above.

Seafood with Spaghetti

This is one of our favourite stir fries. We serve it over spaghetti for a fast and easy dinner. Last week, Becka took some of the leftovers and put them on top of a cheese pizza about 10 minutes before it was done baking. It was among the best pizzas I have ever eaten!

1 lb seafood (shrimp, scallops or combination)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp butter

In a large skillet or wok, stir fry garlic and seafood in oil and butter until done, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

In the same skillet, stir fry in 1 tbsp oil

5 cups thinly sliced vegetables
(We used peppers, mushrooms, carrots last time, but use others as available)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried
1 tbsp minced fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
salt and pepper to taste

Add seafood to vegetable mixture and serve over prepared spaghetti or rice.
Makes 4 generous servings.

Rhubarb Muffins

I made stewed rhubarb, rhubarb coffee cake and rhubarb muffins this morning with the stalks I cut fresh from the garden. The rhubarb muffins have less fat and sugar than the cake and are delicious and moist. This recipe is adapted from the book Muffin Mania by local authors Cathy Prange and Joan Pauli. (This great booklet appears to be out of print)

1-1/4 cups flour (I use half whole wheat flour)
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 c white sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 c oil
1-1/2 cups diced rhubarb, or other seasonal fruit (peaches are great!)

Mix dry ingredients. Beat egg, adding milk and oil. Pour egg mixture over dry ingredients. Fold in rhubarb. Sprinkle tops with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes Makes 10 muffins as shown in photo.

Stewed Rhubarb and Berries

We still are getting a lot of rhubarb from the garden. I don't freeze it, because I always have found it to be watery when thawed. We ate a lot of rhubarb and strawberries at home and Mom served them with graham flour muffins for dessert. After she cooked the rhubarb and sweetened it, she added a package of frozen strawberries that thawed quickly and cooled the fruit. I have started making my stewed rhubarb in the microwave, with no additional water. If you cook the rhubarb on the stove, coat the chopped stems with the sugar and add only a little water if necessary. Cook on low to medium and watch that the fruit does not scorch.

8 cups washed and chopped rhubarb
Place in a microwave safe dish and cook on high for 10-13 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Sweeten to taste with sugar or sweetener (I used 3/4 cup Splenda)
Add 2 cups, more or less, frozen raspberries (my favourite) or strawberries.

Cornbread

My daughter also wanted this recipe. Mom used to make cornbread when we had fresh maple syrup. There was a certain egg cup that we were allowed to fill with syrup and pour over our square of cornbread for dessert.
(This recipe is also good as a topping for chili. Place the chili in an 11x7 pan and top with cornbread batter. Bake at 350F until done. Serve it with salsa and sour cream.)

3/4 cup cornmeal
1-1/4 cups milk

Mix together and allow to stand for 5 minutes

1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar (or less)
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Beat with a fork,
1 egg
Stir egg into cornmeal mixture with
1/4 cup oil
Add dry ingredients and stir only until combined.

Place in a prepared 8 inch square pan, or 12 muffin cups. Bake at 375F degrees for 15- 20 minutes until done. The pan may take up to 25 minutes.

Dutch Apple Pie

This Pennsylvania Dutch recipe is very common in our area. This pie is sweeter and richer than the apple pie I usually make with a crumb crust, but is preferred by some people.

Pastry for single crust 9"pie plate
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp butter
1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup thick cream, sweet or sour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt

Peel and quarter enough apples to fill a pie shell (5-7 apples). Make a crumb mixture with the butter, sugar, salt and flour. Sprinkle 1/3 of crumb mixture on the bottom of the pie crust. Arrange quartered apples closely together on pie shell. Put remaining crumbs on top. Put spoonfuls of cream over the crumbs here and there and let the cream run down between the apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake at 415F for 12 minutes and for 30-40 minutes at 350F.

Fruit Pie

My daughter called last night for this recipe. It is our favourite fruit pie recipe, mainly because the topping is delicious. While the recipe calls for sugar in the filling, I often leave out the sugar except for the topping, especially if the fruit is fresh, sweet and in season.

Peach, Pear, or Apple Crumble Pie

5 large pieces of fruit, peeled and sliced
(Enough fruit to fill prepared pie crust)
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour

Peel and slice fruit into a bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice, sugar and flour. Put in a pastry-lined 9"pie plate.

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soft butter
1/2 cup flour
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4-1/2 tsp ginger for pear pie (this is delicious)

Mix with fork until crumbly then sprinkle over fruit. Bake at 415F for 12 minutes and then reduce to 350F until fruit is tender (usually 40-50 minutes more)

Cream of Vegetable Soup

I am still trying to make at least one meal a week with local foods. As I write this on June 3rd, asparagus, fiddleheads, lettuces, spring onions, radishes and rhubarb are the only fresh, local items available. We still have local root crops from last year such as potatoes, carrots and onions.
This meal consisted of cream of vegetable soup, asparagus quiche and rhubarb crisp and a salad.
The quiche recipe is here. I steamed the asparagus spears lightly and placed them in spokes in the pie. The rhubarb recipe is posted here.

Vegetable Soup

2 cups or more of your favourite vegetable
(carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. I used the asparagus ends, carrots and cauliflower)
One onion
one potato, diced or 1/4 cup rice
Garlic clove

Cook the vegetables in 4 cups of broth. Season to taste with herbs.

When the vegetable are soft, puree them with the broth in a blender.
Return mixture to the pot and thin to desired consistency with regular, evaporated or soy milk. Cream will also work well, if you can afford the fat. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Garnish with chopped chives and roasted peppers.

(If you use carrots, onion and rice, the resulting sweet soup is a beautiful colour)

Rhubarb Crisp

This recipe is made in the microwave oven and is quick and easy. You can use apples, peaches or a combination of fruits. I particularly like apples, cranberries and blueberries together. I generally do not add sugar except in the topping. But rhubarb needs some extra sweetener in the first stage.


4-6 cups of prepared fruit
sugar or sweetener to taste
I added 1/2 c Splenda to the rhubarb

Place in a microwave dish and cook on high for 2-3 minutes until the fruit starts to soften.

Topping

Mix 2/3 c oats with
1/2 c brown sugar
2-3 tbsp butter
cinnamon if desired

Sprinkle topping over the fruit and cook uncovered on high for 6-8 minutes, or until fruit is soft.
Serve with cream, ice cream or plain.

Mango Pudding

One of our homes in South Africa was backed by a mango grove. I never liked the fruit, finding it too stringy and "tasting like soap" in my opinion. In the past couple of years, I have come to love the yellow Ataulfo mango with its sweet flavour and smooth texture. They are in season in Mexico now and we are getting decent ones in our Canadian grocery stores. I have tried this recipe with frozen mango and it was awful. It is best to wait for fully ripe, fresh mangoes in season.
This mango pudding is often found at Chinese buffets. The recipe is adapted from the book Heart Smart Chinese Cooking by Stephen Wong.

2 envelopes unflavoured gelatin
3/4 cup sugar or sweetener
1 cup boiling water
3 cups pureed mangoes
1 cup 2% evaporated milk or cream
(I used plain soy milk)
8 ice cubes

Add gelatin and sugar to hot water and stir until well dissolved and smooth.
*In a large bowl, mix mango puree, milk and ice cubes.
Pour in gelatin mixture and stir until ice cubes are melted.
Pour into individual serving dishes or a jelly mold and chill until set.
Garnish with lime or mango slices if desired

6-8 servings

*(I puree the mangos in my VitaMix and add the milk, ice and gelatin mixture, blending together until smooth.)

Dandelion Jelly

This jelly was sold at the New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale. Mary Martin and her volunteers from the Elmira Mennonite Church make 400 jars of jams and jellies to sell at the sale including this recipe.


1 quart dandelion flowers, washed

Pour boiling water over flowers and let stand overnight. In the morning, put through a fine strainer and add enough water to make 8 cups

Put in a large kettle, add 2 packages of Certo, bring to a boil.

Add 12 cups sugar, 1 cup lemon juice and boil hard for 3 minutes. Put in jars and seal.

(Makes 25 half cup jars)

Tea Balls

This treat was sold, freshly made, at the New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale. The line up was so long, they must have a really good taste reputation. Here is the recipe from their booklet.


3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 tbsp melted shortening
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour

Beat eggs. Add sugar, vanilla and milk. Add sifted dry ingredients. Beat well and then add warm shortening. Drop by spoonfuls into hot fat at 350-365 F. fry until golden brown, then remove and roll in sugar.
Enjoy fresh!

Fiddleheads

Fiddleheads (from ostrich ferns) are in season right now. Here is how I like to prepare them. All the ingredients are from local sources

1 lb fiddle heads
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
4-5 large mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp butter

Soak the fiddleheads in cold water to remove any sand and the brown scales that may still be attached to the fronds. You may need to change the water a couple of times to get them clean. Trim the stems if necessary.

Boil the cleaned fiddleheads in fresh water for 10 minutes. This step is very important to remove any possible stomach irritants that may be present in the plant. (source) Discard the water.
Heat a large frying pan. Saute the onion, garlic, mushrooms and fiddleheads in the butter. Season to taste. (I used Mrs. Dash)

I served these with a baked local potato and a slice of fresh chevre from a local dairy.
(The Becka liked this too!)

Doris Ramseyer's Rhubarb Custard Pie

This recipe is from a lady who attends our church. She brought this pie to a summer picnic a number of years ago and gave me a narrative description of the recipe. We know it is spring when we have this pie.



Unbaked 9" pie crust
Sprinkle crust with a teaspoon or two of sugar

Prepare 4 cups of fresh, diced rhubarb and mix with 2 tbsp of flour
Mix three eggs with 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups of white sugar until thick and creamy. Add rhubarb to the egg mixture and pour into the pie crust.

Bake at 425F for 12 minutes and reduce to 350F for another 40 minutes or so, when pie is set and fruit is soft. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

(Doris used 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk, reserving the egg white for a meringue topping. I do not make the meringue and put three whole eggs in the pie. She also dotted the top of the pie with butter, but I usually forget this, and don't notice the difference)

Quiche

This is a fast and easy dinner or brunch dish, especially if you have some frozen pie crust on hand. The cheese, vegetables and type of milk can be varied. (pictured here)





One unbaked 9" pie crust

1 cup of lightly cooked vegetables ( I have used broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, red peppers, spinach, onions, or you can make it without vegetables)

4 eggs, beaten with,
1-1/2 cups of milk (evaporated, soy, regular;- add a tablespoon of flour if using regular milk)
3-4 ounces of grated cheese ( I prefer old cheddar, but milder cheeses work well too)
seasonings to taste;- I use 1 tsp salt and ground pepper

Place vegetables in the crust
Sprinkle with cheese
Pour egg and milk mixture over the top

Bake at 400F for 30-40 minutes until set.

Mango Chicken or Tofu Curry

One of my favourite dishes at our local Thai restaurant is Mango Chicken Curry. It is spicy and delicious, and I have come up with a version that is easy to make at home, especially when yellow Atuflo mangoes are available. The first ones of the season are in the stores this week, so I used them for this supper dish.




2 cooking onions sliced
1 tbsp oil
3-4 small chicken breasts, or 250 g extra firm tofu, diced in 1/2 inch pieces

Heat oil and cook onions and chicken until chicken is no longer pink.

Slice

1 green pepper
2 red peppers
4 oz mushrooms
1-2 mangoes, diced or sliced

Add to wok and cook until tender crisp. I sometimes add some chopped spinach or other dark leafy green to this mixture.

2-3 tbsp curry paste ( I use Patak's hot curry paste)
1/3 c coconut milk is a nice addition if you have it on hand.

Add curry paste and mix until everything is well blended with the spices. Serve with rice.
Serves 4-6

Oat pancakes (wheatless)

I have found that I do not tolerate a lot a wheat, especially white flour. I do love breads and grains and have found ways to eat less wheat and still have some of my favourite foods.
These pancakes are high protein and low fat, but most importantly, are delicious.


1 cup rolled oats
1 cup creamed cottage cheese (low fat or regular)
2 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Whirl oats in a blender to make a coarse meal. Add cottage cheese and 2 egg yolks and blend well. You may need to add a little milk or yogurt to get it to blend. The mixture is thick.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold them into the oat batter.
I added some blueberries to this batch as well.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a hot, oiled pan and turn when edges are lightly browned.
Makes 10 pancakes the size shown in the photo.

Serve with fruit or syrup.

Butternut Squash and Chicken Pilaf

I love the spicy flavours in various curry dishes. In this dish, the rice is cooked along with the spices, chicken and vegetables. Most of the ingredients are ones used frequently in Indian cuisine. I often use cubed tofu instead of chicken. This pilaf tastes even better the next day.

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or skillet
Add 1 tbsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds and 1/2-1 cup chopped onion
Cook the spices and onion in the oil until the seeds start to pop.
Add 1-2 diced chicken breasts
1/2 a cinnamon stick
Dash of cinnamon, turmeric, saffron and cayenne pepper
Handful of raisins and chopped almonds
Add 1 cup basmati rice and make sure rice gets coated in the oil
Fry the ingredients together for a minute or two, then
Add 3 cups water or broth
1 tsp salt (if you use water)
2 cups of vegetables ( I like to use green beans and/or cauliflower)
2 cups diced butternut squash

Cover with a lid and simmer until done and the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes if you use white rice.

Variations for vegetarian versions-

• I use brown rice if I have extra time as it takes about 40 minutes to cook. I add the vegetables a little later, about half way into the rice cooking time. If I use tofu instead of chicken, I add it with the vegetables.
• Add 2 -3 tsp miso to the water instead of using broth. Add a package of diced tempeh with the cauliflower and fast cooking vegetables.
  

Chocolate Custard

This recipe is from the New Moosewood Cookbook and is perfection from my chocoholic perspective.

In the top of a double boiler melt
3/4 to 1 cup of pure chocolate chips in
2-1/2 cups of milk (regular, skim, soy, whatever)

Let the mixture cool a little, then mix the chocolate milk in a blender with
4 eggs

Pour into buttered custard cups. Place the cups in a pan of water and bake at 350F for about 45 minutes until set. This makes 7 custard cups as shown in the picture.
You may want to eat it right away, but the custard is better when chilled.

For the Birds

Suet Cake from The Egret's Nest
(adapted from several sources from the Internet!)
Ingredients:

• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 cup lard
• 1 cups quick oats
• 1 cups cornmeal
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• Additions - bird seed, dried fruit, chopped peanuts, etc.

Tools:

• pot large enough for ingredients.
• containers that are about the same size as your suet holder.

Directions:

1. Assemble ingredients.
   
2. Heat peanut butter and lard in pan on stove, stirring until melted.
3. Remove from heat.
   
4. Add oats, cornmeal, and whole wheat flour.
5. Pour into containers.
6. Freeze until hard.

Note: In the winter, suet does great but in the summer, this recipe will melt and make a mess. It also has a risk of going bad. Watch it carefully!

Chicken Pot Pie

My husband's family are of German/Mennonite background, and this recipe was made often for supper. The noodle dough is stiffer than spaetzle and is rolled out thinly and cut into squares before it is put into boiling soup broth. My mother-in-law would cook chicken in broth (about 8-12 cups of liquid) and added only onions and parsley. After the chicken was cooked and deboned, the soup was brought to a boil and the "pot pie" noodles added. To me, chicken pot pie is made with pastry or biscuit topping, but this Pennsylvania Dutch recipe is made with noodles.
I add a few more vegetable to my soup. I took a picture of my last batch and there are onions, portabello mushrooms, parsley and cauliflower in the mix.

Soup

Cook a whole chicken or parts in 8-12 cups of salted water with a large diced onion
Cut the cooked chicken in chunks. I add 2-3 cups of chicken to the broth after the vegetables and noodles are cooked. Skim any fat from the broth.
Bring the broth to a boil and cook any vegetables you wish to add.
Place fresh noodle squares in the boiling broth and simmer for 5 minutes.
Season to taste.

Noodles

1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1-1/2 cups of flour

Mix ingredients into a smooth, elastic dough. Add enough flour to make a ball that is not too sticky to be rolled out. (Do not make the dough too stiff)
Roll out thinly with a rolling pin on a floured surface and cut into squares with a knife or pizza cutter.


Note: I learned a lot of these recipes from people who never used measuring cups or spoons. Creative license is allowed!

Spaetzle

Beat 2 eggs

Combine them well with
1-1/2 cups of flour
½ cup milk or water
½ teaspoon of salt if you use water
¼ teaspoon baking powder

Mix ingredients into a medium thick batter. (You may need to add a little more liquid)
Bring 8 cups of salted water or stock to a boil. Put the batter through a colander or press and simmer until done. (about 3 minutes) Drain and place in a bowl with ¼ cup of butter. I make this recipe in three batches, using the same water and remove the cooked noodles with a slotted spoon.

See this post on my main blog for the story behind this recipe.

Hot Milk Sponge Cake

Mrs. North was our neighbour on Piedmont Road in Durban, South Africa. She will never be forgotten because of her recipe for hot milk sponge cake. Light cakes are an essential part of the gracious British tradition of afternoon tea. This recipe makes a wonderful base for strawberry shortcake. It can be split and filled with preserves. It can be served simply with icing sugar sprinkled on the top. It is also perfect for a trifle. Recently, I wanted to make a Black Forest Trifle for guests, so I added 1/4 cup of cocoa to the dry ingredients. The results were perfect, and I will no longer buy chocolate jelly rolls for the trifle.
The following recipe is low-fat and very quick to make.

2 large eggs
1/2-2/3 cup sugar 
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter or oil

Grease a 9-inch square or round cake pan.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. 

In another bowl, beat eggs, adding sugar gradually. Beat egg and sugar mixture until it is doubled in volume. Add vanilla. 

Put milk and oil in a pan or in the microwave and heat to just under a boil. 

Add dry ingredients alternately with the hot milk mixture to the beaten egg and sugar mixture. 

Bake in a moderate oven (350F) for about 25 minutes.


Variation: Chocolate Hot Milk Sponge Cake
Add 1/4 cup cocoa to dry ingredients. Do not cut back on the sugar.