Apple plus Crisp

I was using up old apples and frozen fruit after I cleaned up the fridge and modified the recipe I posted for Rhubarb Crisp. This combination was a winner.

8 cups diced fruit
I used apples (I leave the skins on), 1/2 cup frozen blueberries and 1 cup frozen raspberries.
Cook fruit on high in the microwave for 3 minutes.

Topping

1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp soft butter

Mix ingredients together and sprinkle over the fruit.
Cook on high in microwave for 10-12 minutes until the fruit is tender.

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

Today I cleaned out the fridge and freezer and found a number of storage apples that are no longer good for eating. I cored them and cooked them with the skins on in the microwave and then pureed them in the Vitamix to make applesauce. I don't sweeten applesauce, especially when I cook the fruit without water. The applesauce contains the fiber and pectin found in the skin and the recipe is made with large flake oats and whole wheat flour. This recipe makes enough for 16-18 large muffins.

2 cups whole wheat flour
1-1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
6 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2/3 cup milk
1-1/3 cups applesauce

Mix dry ingredients. Stir in wet ingredients and mix until just moistened.
Bake at 375 F for 15-20 minutes.

Dried fruit or nuts can be added to the batter if desired.

Magnolia Cupcakes

See this post on Body Soul and Spirit and read about these cupcakes. The picture above is of cupcakes we made using the recipe below.


Here's the recipe that put cupcakes back on the map. It's from the Magnolia Bakery in New York, a small bakery with such a huge demand for cupcakes that customers are limited to a dozen.

Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes about 2 dozen large cupcakes

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) self-rising flour*

1-1/4 cups (300 mL) all-purpose flour

1 cup (250 mL/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups (500 mL) sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup (250 mL) milk

1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract

*To make your own self-rising flour, use 2 teaspoons (10 mL) of baking powder and 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of salt for every two cups (500 mL) of flour.

(For 1-1/2 cups of flour use 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon salt)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180C). Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium speed, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about three minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until ingredients are incorporated, but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full (a large ice cream scoop does this job well). Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the centre of cupcake comes out clean.

Cool cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Butter cream Icing

Note: This makes a LOT of icing. I used about a third of it to generously ice about 20 cupcakes, the number made from the recipe above.

Technically, this is not butter cream but an old-fashioned frosting made with confectioner's sugar and butter. Be sure to beat the icing for the time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.

1 cup (250 mL/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6-8 cups (1.5 to 2 L) confectioner's sugar

1/2 cup (125 ml) milk

2 teaspoons (10 mL) vanilla extract (I left this out and just put vanilla in the cake)

Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups (1 L) of the sugar, then the milk and vanilla. Using an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat until smooth and creamy, about three to five minutes. Gradually add more sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about two minutes), until icing is thick enough to be a good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food colouring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature; it will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.

Approximate nutritional content per cupcake: Calories 420. Protein 3 g. Fat 18 g. Carbohydrates 64 g. Dietary fibre 0 g. Sodium 125 mg.

Taquitos

We had these delicious taquitos for supper tonight, courtesy of our daughters. Taquitos are a Mexican dish consisting of rolled up tortillas with some sort of filling. They can be deep fried or crisped in a frying pan with a little oil as these were. They can be filled with shredded or ground meat, beans or potatoes and cheese. They are served with red sauce, green salsa and sour cream as desired.

Corn Tortillas, 6-8 inch diameter

Filling options: Refried beans with or without grated cheese
Cooked and seasoned shredded chicken, beef or pork
Mashed potato and cheese (can be mixed with meat)
Anything else you think of

Place some filling in the tortilla and roll up, securing edge with a toothpick
Fry in a hot skillet until crisp.

Red sauce- Crushed tomatoes (canned) , a little vinegar, oregano, salt
Hot green salsa and sour cream or any other topping or taco sauce/salsa your desire

Lemon Bread

This was my Mother's Day dessert and it was delicious! Homemade lemon bread was thinly sliced, layered with Devon Cream (vanilla pudding or custard would work too), whipped cream and fresh strawberries. The flavours mixed so well! This combination would also work as a trifle, layering the bread, pudding, cream and fruit in a bowl and letting it sit overnight. Other berries such as blueberries go well with lemon too.

Lower Fat Lemon Bread (less guilt with the cream fillings!)

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar (Splenda)

Cream together and add

2 eggs, beaten

Add
1-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
rind of one lemon, finely grated

Place in a loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes at 325 F.

Glaze: juice of one lemon, 1/4 cup sugar. Drizzle on top of hot baked loaf.

Grandma's Macaroni and Cheese

Aunt Lois had us over for dinner on the weekend and served Grandma T's Macaroni and Cheese. I didn't know about this family dish but it was absolutely delicious!!! The best of comfort foods! Aunt Lois sent me the recipe and I made it tonight. It was good, but not as excellent as hers. I may have to watch her make it as the recipe is one of those "you just know the right amounts" recipe.

GRANDMA TOLMAN’S MACARONI ‘N CHEESE RECIPE

With Crumb Topping

5 to 6 cups macaroni cooked a la dente

1 large bar of medium cheese, grated (540 grams)

1 large can of tomatoes, crushed or diced)

(I sometimes add a small can of tomato sauce to give it a bit more moisture)

1 large onion finely chopped

6-8 slices of bacon cut into small pieces or 1 lb with fat cut out

Seasoned bread crumbs

Parmesan cheese

Butter or margarine

Method

Use large casserole or rather deep rectangular pan or medium roasting pan

Place half of the macaroni in dish

Sprinkle half of onion over macaroni

Distribute cut bacon over onion & macaroni

Layer a good portion of cheese on top

Cover with tomato

Repeat above for second layer but, REVERSE cheese and tomato

Topping

I use probably a cup of grated cheese, maybe more, a few good shakes of parmesan cheese, bread crumbs (and I can’t tell you how much for sure) maybe half a cup and then 2 tbsp of butter. Work is with you hands so it is well combined then place on top of the last layer of cheese. ( I toasted and blended 6 slices of whole wheat bread for crumbs)

Bake uncovered at 350 F for one hour in a medium roasting pan.

Banana Muffins

I used to make a double batch of muffins every weekend for quick breakfasts and lunches but have stopped doing so as the household has shrunk in size. I have one daughter who always despised banana bread and muffins as she didn't like the black specks that were visible from the fruit, so I didn't make them often. But this recipe is easy, adaptable and always moist with the bananas. For a special treat, half a cup of chocolate chips can be added to the batter. I chopped up a 3 ounce 70% cocoa chocolate bar for the double recipe I made today.

Combine

2 cups flour (I use at least 1 cup whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup sugar ( I use 1/4 cup and it is sweet enough)
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Beat together

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1-1/2 cups mashed bananas

Add liquid to dry ingredients and stir until blended.

Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, chocolate chips or raisins if desired. A friend of the family adds maraschino cherries to the recipe at Christmas time and bakes it as a loaf.

Makes 1 9x5x3 inch loaf. Bake at 350F for 65 to 70 minutes until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Or the recipe makes 12 large muffins. Bake at 375F for about 20 minutes.

Graham Wafer Pie

My sister-in-law, Shirley, made this pie when I first knew her in the 1970s. It is easy and economical to make. I made it today for the first time in years. There is one piece left. The recipe has been adapted for the microwave oven.

Crust: 1-1/4 cups graham wafer crumbs
1/4 sugar (optional, I don't add sugar here)
1/4 cup melted butter

Mix ingredients together and press into a 9 inch pie plate. Chill in the fridge or freezer. You can use a prepared graham cracker crust from the grocery store instead.

Filling: In a microwave proof bowl combine

2-1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar or Splenda
3 beaten egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
pinch of salt

Cook on medium or high in the microwave for 3-5 minutes until thickened. Stir the mixture well every 45-60 seconds to make sure it doesn't lump. Pour into prepared crust and chill well.

Meringue: Beat 3 egg whites with 1/4 cup sugar until stiff (add 1/4 tsp cream of tartar if you want) Spread over top of pie and bake in a 350 F oven until browned nicely. Watch it carefully.

Red Cabbage and Apple

One of my German patients gave me this recipe and it is a family favourite.

Coarsely shred 1/2 large head of red cabbage
Add one or two thinly sliced apples (I don't peel them)
1/2 cup water

Cook over medium heat in a large pan with a good lid. I use my wok. Stir occasionally and add a little more water if it gets dry. When the cabbage is tender (about 20-30 minutes) take the lid off until the water is mostly evaporated. Add

3 tbsp vinegar
3 tbsp sugar

Stir through and serve hot. Serves 6-8 as a side dish

Vegetarian Lasagna

I rarely make lasagna except for special occasions. It is not the type of meal that can be made in thirty minutes after work. One of our regional grocery chains is now selling fresh lasagna noodles made of 100% whole wheat flour (President's Choice). I bought a package of them and put this lasagna together very quickly. It was handy to skip the "boiling noodles" stage of the process, but you could use regular dried lasagna noodles that have been cooked instead of the fresh noodles.

In a large frying pan or wok heat 1-2 tbsp oil. Add:

1 onion, diced, diced
1/2-1 sweet pepper, diced
2 portobello mushrooms thinly sliced (or equivalent amount of another mushroom)

Cook until softened and then add

1 pound of chopped raw spinach.
Cook until spinach is wilted
Add 1 jar of pasta sauce of your choice

Assemble lasagna in a 9x13 inch pan.

Put a little pasta sauce in the bottom of the pan
Add a layer of fresh or prepared noodles
Add another layer of sauce, sprinkle with parmesan or other grated cheese, then
Add a layer of noodles, then
Mix 1 egg into a 500 ml container of cottage cheese and spread on top of noodles, then
Add a layer of noodles and the rest of the sauce.

Sprinkle the top with grated mozzarella cheese. You can top the lasagna with another layer of noodles if desired. I find noodles on the top get hard, so I end with sauce.

Cover lightly with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes at 350F.

(Vegetables and cheeses can be varied)

Venison Stew

A friend from our church, John, gave us some game meat from moose and deer he hunted last fall. I checked a few recipes and then created this dish with what was on hand. It was very good! This type of recipe can be modified in many ways.

Heat 15-30 ml of oil in a dutch oven or stew pot

Add one diced onion (I would have added green pepper if I had some) and cook for a couple of minutes until it is starting to soften.

Add 500 g diced venison and cook until browned

Add 30 ml cider vinegar
250 ml vegetable or beef broth
250 ml tomato sauce (I used some left over pasta sauce)
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
5 ml allspice
other seasonings to taste

Simmer slowly for 40- 50 minutes until meat is tender.

Add chunks of potato (4 medium), carrots (2), onions (1) as desired and simmer until vegetables are done.

I served it with a salad and Canadian wild rice.

Dessert Crepes

There are endless possibilities when it comes to filling basic crepes for dessert. We tried this simple and delicious end to our crepe experiments and the warm fruit and ice cream was quite perfect. The Becka assembled and photographed the finished product.

Cook two sliced bananas on high in a frying pan with a little butter until slightly browned and soft. Drizzle the inside of a crepe with chocolate sauce and place bananas inside. Fold crepe in thirds over the fruit. Place a scoop of ice cream on top and drizzle with a little chocolate sauce.