Christmas Pudding Sauce

 One of my fondest memories from childhood is stirring the pudding sauce in the double boiler on Christmas day. Grandma used to bring the pudding and steam it in a pudding steamer that I still had. Most of us just ate a spoonful of pudding so we could pile on this delicious sauce. My recipe (in my Mom's handwriting that I still use is starting to get a bit faded so I thought I would put it on the blog. I always forget to take a photo at Christmas dinner so I only have a couple of preparation photos....

Christmas Pudding Sauce

 3 egg yolks

1 cup fruit sugar (very fine) 

1/2 cup butter (melted) 

Beat eggs until thick, gradually add sugar. Add

melted butter slowly and heat in a double boiler over warm water.

Stirring continuously for about 10 minutes.

Cool. Add a pinch of salt and 1 cup of whipping cream (before whipping).

Fold into butter mixture and chill. 

 

 

Zucchini Corn Bake

 This year I bought what I thought was yellow zucchini. Then I did a little further research and I think they are actually Crookneck squash. They are a little sweeter and can be used just like regular green zucchini but you need to pick them between 6 and 8 inches otherwise they get tough and have raised bumps on their outer surface. 

I have made zucchini bread with them (delish) and got this most excellent recipe from a friend. Makes a good portion and is very tasty. I have picked 45 so far so I need to keep finding more excellent recipes to try. They are great in a stir fry also.

ZUCCHINI CORN BAKE

3 - 7 to 8 inch market size zucchini 

1 med onion, chopped

1 Tablespoon butter

1 (10oz) pkg frozen corn, defrosted and microwaved for 2 minutes 

1 cup shredded Swiss Cheese

2 large eggs, beaten

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste 

1 Tablespoon butter, melted 

2 slices of white bread, cut in 3/8 inch cubes

2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. 

Wash zucchini; do not peel.  Cut into 1 inch cubes.  Add to a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil.  Cook 10 minutes.  Drain.  Sauté the onion in 1 Tablespoon butter till tender.   Combine zucchini, onion, corn, Swiss cheese, eggs ,salt and pepper.  Transfer the mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish.  Combine the melted butter with the bread cubes and Parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle on top.  Bake 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and serve.

 

Shrimp Scampi

 

This recipe is so simple, it barely needs a recipe but just in case I don't feel like looking it up in the future. I am saving it to the blog for easy access.

Shrimp Scampi

Olive oil/butter

4-5 cloves of garlic, minced or 1 1/2 Tbsp minced

Salt/pepper

1/4 cup dry white wine or broth

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped parsley or less dry flakes

1. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Add garlic and saute about 

a minute. Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper. Cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side, just

until it turns pink.

2.Pour in wine and add pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer. Add more butter if needed and lemon juice

3. Serve over rice, pasta, zucchini noodles.

Zucchini Pie

As most of you know, I have a small plot up at my local community garden. It isn't always that productive except for growing a big patch of weeds but it does seem to support my love for zucchini.
I'm at 37 and counting. So while I give a lot away, I wanted to try a few new ways of using it up.

Along came a recipe for this DELICIOUS zucchini pie. I made homemade Bisquick(remember all those Bisquick recipes we used to make?) Fun Fact: General Mills introduced Bisquick in 1931. Can you believe it's been around that long?

Try this recipe, you'll thank me. I can vouch for the fact that its just as good reheated for breakfast.

Zucchini Pie

3 cups zucchini (grated and water squeezed out) I used almost all of that bad boy pictured above

1 small chopped onion or bunch of green onions chopped ( I grated mine)

1 cup Bisquick (I used homemade, recipe to follow)

5 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp ground mustard

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a large pie plate.

Dump all ingredients into a big bowl and mix.

Bake for 50 min.

Homemade Bisquick

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 Tbsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

You can use a food processor to pulse this until mixture resembles cornmeal or I just used a pastry blender.

Store the remainder in the fridge for up to 3 months. Can be used for lots of other recipes.

Salad Dressing

I'm not much of a make things up cook. I basically follow a recipe and I've always admired people who can just whip things up. Especially those that can make salad dressing. So when my friend Janice made this during our girl's cottage retreat, I made her write it out for me. What I like best about it is that it uses a very few ingredients which I always have on hand. So in case I lose my copy of her recipe, I thought I would record it here on the blog.

Jannie's Salad Dressing
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Optional: oregano
Put everything in a jar and shake it up. Can store in the
fridge for a few days also.

It doesn't get any easier then that. And doesn't that salad look appealing?

Turkey Shepherd's Pie

I was lucky enough to be gifted several meals over the Easter weekend and my good friend Keri, gave me this idea for leftovers awhile ago. I love making it in the individual loaf pans. They freeze well and you can just pull one or two out of the freezer for a quick meal.

Start by dumping all your leftover chopped up turkey, gravy, vegetables into a bowl. Mix and portion into loaf pans.

Top with a layer of stuffing...

Top with a layer of mashed potatoes....

Finally some grated cheddar cheese...

I don't have a photo of a baked one because by this stage, I had eaten turkey 4 days in a row but I assure you they are really good.
Bake for about half hour or longer if frozen. Just need to be heated through.

Paper Bag Apple Pie

My Mom clipped recipes out of the Brantford Expositor for years. Mary Moore always wrote a column. I don't think she was local, I believe she was syndicated but she had some great recipes. Fortuntely I scanned this one because I can't find the original at the moment.

I don't know if you can read the date or not but this recipe is from Sept 22, 1962.

Back in the "old" days you could choose to have your groceries bagged in paper. Nowadays the only paper that is available is the one you get at Thanksgiving time for the Food Drive. So I always save it just in case I happen to make this pie which I did for the past Thanksgiving.
You secure it with paperclips and place it on a cookie set and voila, when you open it up you have a perfectly cooked pie.

Now don't fret if you can't find a bag. My Aunt Janet says that you can bake it in an oven just like any old pie, just adjust the recipe a bit. I'll check with her and make sure I get the right temperature and time.

Paper Bag Apple Pie
1 unbaked 9inch pie shell
3 or 4 large baking apples
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Topping
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter

Peel, core and chop up apples into chunks. About 7 cups. Combine with all the dry ingredients and toss to coat well. Spoon into pastry shell and drizzle with lemon juice. Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl cutting in the butter with a pastry blender an sprinkle over apples. Slide pie into a heavy paper bag and secure with paper clips and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 425F for one hour.

NOTE: If you don't have a paper bag, bake as usual. 425F for 10 minutes then 350F for 45-50 minutes

Oven Baked Chicken

I have struggled with finding a tasty way to doctor up boneless, skinless chicken. I finally found a great recipe that is delicious from The Skinnyish Dish. I modified it a bit (mostly because I didn't know what kosher salt was) but I agree with her that the secret is brining the chicken.

I cut down the amount of salt recommended and just used table salt. 1 tsp for 3 breasts. Mix into lukewarm water and put in your chicken. Store in the Fridge for at least an hour.
Take it out and pat it dry.

Then rub in the following mixture of spices or whatever you like to use:

Oven Roasted Chicken
1-1 1/2  Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp seasoning salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano

Mix into a paste and rub onto chicken.
Place on a cookie sheet covered with foil or in a baking dish.
Bake at 450F for 22-25 minutes.
You can broil for 2-3 minutes at the end to brown and crisp if desired.
Let rest for a few minutes and its ready to serve or store in the fridge for a quick high protein snack.

Lemon Loaf

My sister-in-law gave me this recipe to use for the Crop. It's a family favourite and so easy to make. Once you remember to put the water in, that is. I add some lemon zest to give it extra zip. The glaze on top is what "makes" the cake.

Lemon Loaf

1 Lemon cake mix
4 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup oil
1 pkg Jello instant lemon pudding mix
3/4 cup water

Glaze
1/2 cup white sugar
2 - 3 Tbsp lemon juice

Beat eggs. Add rest. Beat all 10 min
Bake at 350F for 45 min
Makes 2 loaves

Immediately after removing from oven, add glaze.

Honey Beer Bread

 I know it seems like I'm not making any cards but in fact, I'm prepping TONS of them but they are for the upcoming Loonies for Lindor fundraiser so I can't let the cat out of the bag.

Bread with soup is a must and when one of the gals (Robin) made this at our week away, I thought it was just delicious and couldn't believe how easy it is to make. It's best served warm but delicious later as well.

It's puffy, buttery and has that yeasty taste without all the kneading and waiting. I will definitely be making this regularly.

Honey Beer Bread

3 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup honey
1 bottle (12 ounces) of beer
4 Tbsp butter, melted

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x5x3 pan.

Whisk dry ingredients. Slowly pour beer and honey into the flour mixture and stir until combined.
(slightly warm honey in microwave so its easier to pour).

Pour half the melted butter in the bottom of pan. Then add batter on top and brush the rest of the butter evenly.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Super easy and delicious recipe.

It doesn't get much easier then this.

Dutch Meatball Soup

This was a classic growing up and it is especially handy to have in the freezer on days like this. The thermometer is still reading minus 22C at 930am.
It's a pretty simple recipe but you need to get the ingredients from the Dutch store. And you need to be able to read a bit of Dutch or find a package that has the English translation on it.
I'll spell it out for you, just in case you want to make it yourself.

*I usually make a double batch

You need these ingredients. Dutch Vegetables (2) Vermicelli (1/2 pack) and Vegetable soup (2)

Boil amount of water on package. Meanwhile mix lean ground beef, a few bread crumbs and salt and pepper and make tiny meatballs and drop into water. Boil for about half an hour.

Then add soup mix and vegetables and one can of tomato paste. If you want more noodles add a bit of Vermicelli but remember it puffs up a lot.

Enjoy immediately or freeze for future consumption. Eet smakelijk!

Nineteen in Nineteen and a recipe

Well I'm finally getting around to thinking about my Nineteen in Nineteen. I was considering not doing it this year as it keeps getting longer, but its fun to refer to over the year and I look back on them to see how I did.

So a couple of my goals last year were a little unrealistic eg. 100 Blog posts and Participate in 4 challenges a month. Even my book count was a little too high so I've redone what I think is a bit of a challenge but also doable.

I've already started the year off by finishing 2 books, I've got 10 on request from the library and I'm currently reading this one...

I'm only a few chapters in and I think its going to be excellent. Sam was born with a rare genetic condition that resulted in red eyes. That's all I'm going to say about that but I think its a rare jewel like Wonder. With a strong start, I think I can meet this year's goal of 40 books. I'd also like to participate in a Readathon which I think is just basically laying around all weekend and giving yourself permission to ignore the chores and read.

I also would like to instigate a bit of a cleaning routine. This one looks like it is pretty straight forward....

Some of them are so complicated, forget it. I'd be spending hours everyday with 2 shedding dogs. I also want to try and not leave dishes in the sink. My dishwasher is broken and I don't want to replace until I redo kitchen so it's a challenge to not let them drip dry.

You can read my other goals on the sidebar if you're interested but another one that I've started already is only use the freezer for main meal item and other things if possible for the month of January. Early in the year, I cleaned out and organized it with oldest items up front and its been working great now that I know what's in there and I don't grab meat etc just because its on sale. It will be interesting if it lowers my grocery bill. Which leads me to turkey... I usually have one or two on hand but I've cooked them up and had a lot of chopped meat left over which I used up in this yummy casserole..

Turkey Noodle Casserole

2 cups of cubed turkey or chicken
1 condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream (light is ok)
chopped onions/mushrooms/red pepper (optional)
1/2 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste
I add at least a cup of milk or water as it tends to dry out in a large open casserole
16 ounces of egg noodles, cooked

Mix all together and place in a greased 9x13 baking dish.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or you can freeze unbaked (but then you'd be back to having another freezer item to use up, lol)

You could put some buttered breadcrumbs on top or crushed Ritz crackers but I thought it was already decadent enough.


I should also say that I'm running another major Fundraiser in April for Autism Dog Services so a lot of my time and energy will be dedicated to that. 

Fruit Dip

I was recently reminded of this recipe when my Aunt J, texted to ask what the ingredients were. I've never written it down but surprisingly, I could still remember what was in it. So easy to make and delicious with fruit. You can make it lower calorie also by using lowfat yogurt and Cool Whip light. Makes very little difference in the taste. Oh and it's gluten free also which is a bonus.

Fruit Dip
Strawberry yogurt ( a small container )
Vanilla pudding (dry) a couple tablespoons
Cool Whip Light, 1-2 cups
You can vary the ingredients depending on how thick you like it or how much you want to make. You really can't go wrong with this combination

Italian Meatball Stew

It was minus 20C last night. Yikes! That calls for some good ole comfort food. About once a week I try to make something in the crockpot so dinner is ready and there is only one dish to clean up afterwards. I got this recipe from a family member who said it came out in a recipe book when crockpots first came out. Imagine, it would be the same as the big fuss going on right now over the InstaPots. This is like beef stew but instead it uses giant meatballs. Good and hearty and no pre-cooking.

Crockpot Italian Meatball Stew
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
Combine meatball ingredients and form into 2 inch balls
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1inch slices

Arrange carrots in bottom of crockpot.
Arrange meatballs over carrots.

1 6oz can tomato paste
1 cup water
1 cup beef bouillon/broth
1/2 tsp oregano
Combine these ingredients and pour over meatballs.
Orginal recipe says cook on low 4-6 hours but I would go with 6. Those are BIG meatballs.
Before serving - Turn to high and add 1 or so cups of Italian vegetables. I just used frozen mixed vegetables. Cook a further 15-20 minutes.

If you are worried about fat. Cook up the day before and refrigerate, then you can skim off any fat. Or use extra lean ground beef. Also can be made gluten free, if you leave out the bread crumbs or substitute another binder. Also you can add a few more vegetables if desired.

Paula Deen's Meatloaf

I don't get a chance to make meatloaf very often, but over the holidays I had a hungry teen visiting who requested a home-cooked meal rather then dining out. That works for me. Way easier on the pocket book and a much healthier option. Paula's recipes never disappoint and while there was nothing out of the ordinary in this meatloaf, it was really quite delicious, especially with mashed potatoes.

Paula Deen's Meatloaf
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 egg
1 onion, chopped (you could brown them first)
1 cup milk
1 cup dried bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
Topping
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp prepared mustard
1/3 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 350F.
Mix first ingredients together and press into 5x9 loaf pan.
In a separate bowl, mix topping ingredients and spread on meatloaf.(I found this made quite a bit but definitely added a delicious flavour and baked off quite a bit)
Bake for one hour.
(I find you have to drain the grease off even with light ground beef, probably extra lean or a mixture of turkey/chicken would be an alternative)

Zucchini Fritters

I just harvested my NINTH zucchini from my community garden plot. I think its absolutely incredible that you can look one day and they are too small to pick and the next day they have grown exponentially. So I've been trying some different recipes and uses even though zucchini is best in baked goods. (at least that's what I believe)

This recipe uses 4 zucchini and best of all the fritters can be frozen on wax paper on a cookie sheet and then transferred to a ziploc to be reheated in the oven at a later date. They were very tasty but personally I might add a bit of garlic or a little more onion.

Zucchini Fritters
4 medium zucchini
1/2 medium onion
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup flour
2 eggs
Pepper- freshly ground
Oil for frying ( I used olive oil )

Grate zucchini and onion and place in a bowl. Toss with salt and let sit for 10 minutes.
Wring the mixture out by wrapping it in a clean tea towel and twisting over the sink. Try to get out as much water as possible.
Mix together other ingredients and drop small scoops of zucchini into a heated fry pan. Fry until golden brown. Cool and eat immediately or flash freeze for later enjoyment.

I'm off to check the garden again. Maybe it will be time to find a NEW zucchini recipe today.
PS. Just spotted the first change of colour to orange in the cherry tomatoes. Once they hit, its going to be an avalanche.

Cooked Cabbage

So I had a weird encounter at the grocery store the other day. I was stopped chatting with a friend in front of the cabbages and this lady joined in, assuming we were talking about the many uses of cabbage. One thing led to another, my friend bailed on me and I was caught talking to this Polish lady for about 20 minutes. She told me everything I needed to know about cooking cabbage so I felt I had to give it a try.
Tip #1 - use purple cabbage
Tip #2- fry bacon and don't dump out the grease, YIKES!
Tip #3 - add a splash of malt vinegar
Tip#4 - add a tsp of sugar or a few plums (whaat?)
Tip#5- a little bit of grated ginger adds a nice taste
Tip#6 - cover and let it steam
Tip#7- if you get gassy, add some peppermint, if you don't have any, break open a peppermint tea bag and stir it in
You get the idea. I actually ran into her 2 more times even though I was hiding in the pharmacy. I got a small history of Poland while I was doing my grocery shopping. Oh well, I just think she was happy to share her wisdom in the culinary dept etc.

So I kind of based my recipe on this and then added a few of her suggestions....

Cooked Cabbage
1/2 red cabbage coarsely chopped
4-5 slices of bacon
1 large onion diced
1 tsp sugar
salt, pepper, dash of paprika and onion powder/garlic powder to taste

Fry bacon and then add onion and cabbage and spices. Cover and steam and occasionally stir for about 20 minutes or until tender. This was really good and I didn't need to use Tip #7

Baked Parmesan Caesar Chicken

It's been awhile since I posted a recipe and this one is a keeper. I first starting using creamy Caesar dressing and Italian as a marinade this summer at the suggestion of a friend. Then I was invited to a delicious lunch out and another friend used the marinade base and added the breaded topping and it was delicious.

Here's the recipe if you want to try it yourself:

Baked Parmesan Caesar Chicken
6-8 boneless chicken breasts (I cut them in half)
1/2 cup creamy Caesar dressing
1/2 cup zesty Italian dressing
1 cup shredded Parmesan (the fresh kind)
1 cup bread crumbs

Combine dressings in one bowl, combine cheese and crumbs in another bowl.
Dredge each breast in the dressings and then roll in the crumb mixture. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment and bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is done.

Epic Tea Biscuit Fail!

I have been baking for a long time so I know my way around the kitchen fairly well. One recipe I have never been able to conquer though is the tea biscuit. It's one of the few recipes that I have from my Grandma and while she made it often, when I make them they always turn out poorly.

So recently, I decided to try again. I read up on tips on the Internet on how to have the highest, lightest, fluffiest biscuits instead I got this....

 

concrete door stops!!!! If you have any ideas for me, drop me a line. I'm off to bake some shortbread.

Jumbo Bakery Style Peanut Butter Cookies

I tried another new recipe and this one was FANTASTIC! I think the secret was, of course, the jumbo nature of the cookie, in addition to the Reese's Peanut Butter chips. I made very large cookies. I think about 16 or so.... I have already had a couple requests for the recipe as I gave out a few samples so here it is...

Jumbo Bakery Style Peanut Butter Cookies
1/2 cup butter (softened)
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1 package Reese's Peanut Butter chips

Cream butters and both sugars. Add egg, milk, vanilla, baking soda and salt and mix until combined. Slowly add flour and mix until dough just comes together. Add Peanut Butter chips.
Chill your dough at least 4 hours or overnight.
Scoop 1/4 cups of chilled dough onto cookie sheet. Bake 11-14 minutes until bottoms start to brown at 350F. Cool and remove from cookie sheets. Enjoy!