Icebox Cookies

Icebox cookie dough is great to have on hand if you want to bake a few fresh cookies. This recipe goes together quickly and will keep in the freezer for a few weeks.

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4-1 cup candied fruit, nuts, dried fruit of choice (chop up larger pieces)

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Combine dry ingredients and add gradually to butter mixture. Add fruit and nuts if desired. 

Divide dough into three and roll into logs that are about 1-1/4 inch in diameter. Chill in the freezer for at least 1/2 hour or freeze for use later. Slice chilled dough in 1/4 inch slices and place on baking sheet. Roll edges in coarse sugar if desired.

Bake in a preheated oven at 375 F for 6-8 minutes until set.

Corn Tortillas

I have made some pretty awful corn tortillas with masa flour in the past. Our daughter brought me a tortilla press from Mexico this summer and taught me how to use it. When I was in California I tasted delicious corn tortillas that were made with a little wheat gluten. They were very flexible and easy to handle when making tacos. I added some gluten to the masa flour when I made tortillas today and they were every bit as good as the ones we had in California.

1-3/4 cups masa flour
1/4 cup wheat gluten or white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together in a large bowl and add

2 cups very hot water (I let boiled water cool for a couple of minutes)
Stir until combined adding a little more water if necessary to get the ingredients to stick together in a dough you can shape into balls.

Divide into 16 balls and cover with a towel to keep the dough from drying out.

Flatten each ball in a tortilla press or by pressing it with a round plate. Place each tortilla on an ungreased hot skillet and cook until brown spots form and the tortilla puffs up. Place warm tortillas in a clean tea towel or tortilla cover.

You can freeze these in an air tight bag and heat them in a moistened tea towel in the microwave.

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

For years I have made scalloped potatoes by layering sliced potato and onion in a casserole dish and dumping a can of cream of mushroom soup on the top. The result can be gummy and grey depending on the type of potatoes used. I wanted to get away from a milky sauce over the potatoes and experimented with this method. It was very well received by our family!

Slice 3-4 lbs of potatoes in a food processor. (I used new red potatoes and did not peel them.)

Parboil the slices in boiling salted water for 8 minutes (this step could be omitted if you bake the potatoes a little longer)

Butter a 9x13 pan

Put 1/3 of the potatoes on the bottom and sprinkle with 1/2 c grated cheddar cheese, 2 oz of cubed cream cheese, 1 tbsp of flour, salt, pepper to taste.

Add 1/3 of the potatoes and sprinkle with 1/2 c grated cheddar cheese, 2 oz of cubed cream cheese, 1 tbsp of flour, salt, pepper as above. I added 4 oz of lightly cooked sliced mushrooms on the layer too.

Top with remaining potatoes, season with salt and pepper. Add 8-12 oz milk.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Cover lightly with foil for the first 1/2 hour and then let the top brown for the last 15 minutes.

Spicy Lentil Tacos

I saw this recipe on Phoo-d and we had it for supper tonight. We have made tacos with veggie ground round in the past but it is expensive and too salty for my liking. This lentil version tastes better. You can follow the link to the recipe I used but it is copied here as links are prone to going dead.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Diced Onion
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 Poblano Peppers, diced (or peppers of choice)
• 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon Salt
• 2 teaspoons Ancho Chili Powder (I used regular chili powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
• 4 cups Cooked Lentils (2 tins, drained and rinsed)
• 1/3 cup or more* Vegetable Stock (Low Sodium)
• 1 small tin Tomato Paste (4-6 oz)
• 1 Tablespoon Hot Sauce (optional)
• 2 teaspoons Olive Oil or cook onions in vegetable broth

Cooking Directions

Place a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, onion, garlic, and peppers and saute until soft. 

When the vegetables are soft add the black pepper, salt, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and coriander in and stir for a minute. Add the lentils, vegetable stock, tomato paste, and hot sauce to the skillet. Stir until well combined, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the lentils are warmed through and most of the vegetable stock has evaporated, about 4 minutes. If the mixture begins to look dry add more vegetable stock*. 

 

Serve in a corn tortilla or tostada with traditional taco toppings. Serves 4.

Hearty Curry

I made this curry with ingredients on hand and the meat-lover in the family declared the vegetables tasted better than the meat. I didn’t really measure the ingredients and the recipe is very versatile.

Add to wok or large frying pan with lid:

1 tbsp oil
1 diced onion
2 tsp freshly ground cumin
2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric

Fry until seeds start to pop and onion is starting to soften.

Add:

1-1/2 lbs diced potatoes (I quartered mini potatoes and left the peels on)
1/2 diced green pepper
1/2 diced red pepper
1 sliced carrot
1 tbsp curry paste
3/4 cup water

Stir vegetables so they are coated with seasonings. Cover pot and simmer until vegetables are tender.

Add:

1/2 pound spinach leaves
3/4 cup peas (canned or frozen)
1 cup coconut milk (or more to make enough sauce)
Cover and simmer until spinach is wilted

Add:

1 tsp garam masala
cayenne pepper to taste

Serve on rice or with naan bread. Serves 4 hungry people, more if it is used as a side dish.

Rice and Bean Casserole

I modified this Brown Rice and Black Bean Casserole from allrecipes.com. By doubling the ingredients, I made 2 casseroles, one with chicken and one vegetarian. They went together quickly and I set the oven on timer so we had a yummy hot meal when we came home from church.  You need 1-1/2 cups of rice and about 2 cups diced chicken (or turkey) for a single recipe. If you don't have any leftovers, start cooking the rice and chicken before you cut up the vegetables. I used 1 tin of black beans and 1 tin of white kidney beans for a double recipe and the combination was very good.

• 1/2 cup converted rice
• 1 cup vegetable broth or salted water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (add seeds if you like heat)
• 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
• 2 cooked skinless boneless chicken breast halves, chopped
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• salt to taste
• ground cayenne pepper to taste
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
• (1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers, drained)- I used a fresh jalapeno instead
• 1/2 cup chopped or shredded carrots
• 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Directions:

1. Mix the rice and vegetable broth in a pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, or until rice is tender.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion until tender. Mix in the zucchini, peppers, carrots, and mushrooms. Season with cumin, salt, and ground cayenne pepper. Cook and stir until zucchini is lightly browned.
3. In large bowl, mix the cooked rice, onion, zucchini, mushrooms, beans, chiles, carrots, and 1/2 the Swiss cheese. Add chicken if not making a meatless dish. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.You can add some crushed tortilla chips if you want. I also added fresh cilantro.
4. Cover casserole loosely with foil, and bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Uncover, and continue baking 10 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Spicy Rice and Beans

I cooked a pound of black beans in the crock pot overnight and had enough to make this recipe and a double batch of Black Bean Brownies.

Heat a little oil in a wok or large pan and cook until softened:

1 tsp cumin seeds, coarsely crushed with a pestle
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded or not depending on your heat preference
1 diced red pepper
1-2 cloves of garlic, sliced or chopped
1 teaspoon salt

Add 1-1/2 cups of water and 3/4 cup converted rice and cook 20 minutes until rice is done.

Add 3 cups of cooked black beans and heat through before serving.

I served the rice and beans in green pepper shells. Serves 4 or more depending on whether you use it as a main dish or a side dish. It tastes even better the next day.

Variations: Feel free to add onions or other vegetables, a dash of cayenne pepper or seasonings of your choice. Garnish with cilantro.

Rainbow Vegetable Slaw

I have an abundance of vegetables in my fridge and made this large marinated salad that should keep for several days. It is colourful and delicious! I used my food processor to prepare the vegetables.

1 medium cabbage
3 ribs of celery
1 red onion
1 large zucchini
3 sweet peppers

Dressing:
1/3 cup oil
2/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup sugar or sweetener or to taste
1/3 cup water
2 tsp salt

Mix dressing until sugar is dissolved and pour over prepared vegetables.

Variations: Add any of these-
corn, chickpeas, raisins, jalapeno pepper, carrots, yellow zucchini, cucumber, celeriac, napa, etc

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad

This recipe is adapted from An Appetite for Reduction. (I recommend this fast, easy, low fat vegan cookbook). The salad is topped with grilled tofu, but meat eaters could add chicken or shrimp.

Make the dressing first, marinate the tofu, and soak the rice vermicelli while you chop the vegetables.

Dressing:
1/3 cup warm water
3 tbsp sweetener or honey
3 tbsp chili-garlic sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Tofu:
Cut a 12 oz block of extra firm tofu into 8 slices. Cut each slice diagonally and put tofu in the dressing. Marinate for 15 minutes or more, then grill on BBQ or brown in frying pan. (This can be done after the salad is assembled.) Reserve the dressing to add to the salad.

Salad:
Soak 8-12 oz of rice vermicelli in a large bowl of hot tap water. It will soften up in 10 minutes or less. In the meantime thinly slice:
1/2 cucumber
1 sweet pepper
1 mango
2 green onions
1 carrot
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Add 2 or more cups fresh greens
(vegetables can be omitted/exchanged according to your preference

Drain vermicelli when softened and add vegetables to noodles. Mix together with your hands if necessary. I break the noodles in half before soaking them to make it easier to combine them with the other ingredients.

Assembly:
Place a serving of salad in a bowl, top with a couple of pieces of tofu. Add dressing to taste and top with chopped peanuts or spicy peanut sauce.  (Use a nut of your choice)
If you don't put dressing on the salad, it keeps well in the fridge for a day or more.

Green Smoothies

Smoothies are all the rage right now but many varieties at fast food restaurants and grocery stores are high in sugar. I added green powder to smoothies for years but I never used fresh greens. After looking at a few recipes on the web and experimenting this week, I found some good combinations. The Becka added one romaine leaf to her fruit smoothie one morning and thought she could get used to it. Daughter #2 cautiously tried a sip of my very green smoothie and was surprised that it was tasty. Here is the way I make them:

Version #1

Add to blender:

1 ripe banana
1-2 portions of fruit of choice (peach, nectarine, strawberries, apricots, mango)
1/2-1 cup soy milk (or milk/yogurt of choice)
4 ice cubes


Blend until liquefied and gradually add until thoroughly blended:

2-4 cups fresh greens of choice- I like spinach best, but kale, colards, chard or mixed baby greens work as well.

This fills 2 glasses. I drink one at breakfast and take the other to work to sip on during the day.
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Version #2

Blend 4 cups seedless watermelon until liquefied
Another fruit of choice (i.e. strawberries, banana, canteloupe)
Add 2-4 cups greens and blend
Add water if the mixture is too thick
You can add some lime juice and/or sweetener if desired

Rice and Bean Salad

I love the flavours in this salad! You can vary the vegetables according to what you have on hand.

2 cups cooked basmati rice (or rice of your choice)
1 tin black beans rinsed and drained
1 cup canned or fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup diced orange or red pepper
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4-1/2 cup diced red onion (to taste)
Finely grated rind of one lime

Dressing:
Whisk until well blended-

1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Mix  ingredients together and add dressing. The salad keeps well for a couple of days. Other vegetables that work include diced carrots, cucumber, zucchini, celery.

Variation: Use other grains such as quinoa, farro, barley or couscous

Recipe adapted from this one on myrecipes.com

Ice Cream Sandwiches

One of our national grocery chains is featuring ice cream sandwiches made with their store brand chocolate chip cookies. Right now it costs $4.99 for six small ice cream sandwiches. They are very tasty though. We made some today with small homemade peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies which were made with whole wheat flour and less sugar than the store cookies. I think ours would win a taste test anywhere!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups quick oats
3/4 cup unpacked brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt; whisk in oats until combined.
In another bowl, cream butter and peanut butter together. Stir in sugar and then eggs and beat together until creamy. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture gradually until well combined. Add chocolate chips.

Measure a rounded tablespoon (15ml) of dough, place on cookie sheets and flatten slightly. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

We made approximately 40 cookies with this amount of dough.

I used less than half of a 2 litre carton of ice cream that came in a rectangular waxed cardboard container. Cut a 3 cm (more or less) slice of ice cream and cut it into 4 to 6 squares that are the size of your cookies. Place ice cream between two cookies and freeze immediately. You could use a cookie cutter to get perfectly matched circles of ice cream.