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.