Apple Butter
I always liked apple butter as a kid but we didn’t buy it very often. Had we only known a crock pot (aka slow cooker) could make the stuff without much fuss then we would have made much better use of the apple trees on …
Recent Posts
Rye Crust Hand Pies with Roasted Yams, Onion, Fennel and Persian Feta
The Dahlia Bakery Cook book has a recipe for roasted carrot, leek and goat cheese hand pies which looked interesting so I thought I’d give it a go with the ingredients I had on hand. I also had a whole bag of rye flour left …
Buttermilk Lemon Pie
Mmmmmm pie. Buttermilk lemon pie…double mmmm. Thank you to Taste of Home for a quick and awesome pie recipe. Just a quick note on buttermilk…it’s super good for you and is great for making biscuits, scones and coffee cake…and this pie!
I didn’t change a thing in this recipe so if you want to make this just click on the link above. I used a Pillsbury pre-made crust (hey, they were on sale ok?).
Enjoy.
Gluten Free Banana Muffins
My daughter is on a gluten free kick and loves banana bread so I set out to find a good recipe for gluten free banana muffins. This one is a mishmash of several on the web including a gluten free, vegan optional version from Minimalistbaker.com. …
Baked Chicken Kabobs and Spinach Salad
Baked chicken kabobs are quick, easy and great with a spinach salad. This meal takes 30 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to bake. Chicken Kabobs 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in chunks 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar 1 tsp …
Roasted Cauliflower, Asian Baked Tofu and Brown Rice
This easy vegetarian trio of roasted cauliflower, asian baked tofu and brown rice is healthy and satisfying. It takes a little preparation but once that’s done it’s smooth sailing.
Brown Rice
The rice takes the longest amount of time so start by cooking up 1 cup rice using the Saveur’s Perfect Brown Rice Method). Note, I used a brown rice and wild rice mix. The wild rice does not do as well with this method but the brown rice was perfect.
Roasted Cauliflower
I head of cauliflower washed with flowerettes sliced into 1/8″ pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tsp Sumac
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss cauliflower in olive oil, spread on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with the sumac and salt and pepper. Prepare the Tofu and put them both in the oven at the same time for 25 minutes.
Asian Baked Tofu
1 brick extra firm tofu sliced in half lengthwise and then chopped into cubes
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c rice vinegar
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic minced
2 slices peeled ginger minced
Mix all ingredients together in a Pyrex baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
Plate, eat.
Serves 4
Spaghetti Bolognese…Italian for Comfort Food
I told my friend Paula I’d cook her dinner and asked her what she wanted. “Spaghetti” was the response. Normally I just wing spaghetti sauce with whatever I have on hand but today I decided I’d have a look to see if what I think …
Jamie Oliver’s Beef and Beer Stew with Beef and Bacon Sausages
Beef and beer stew is perfect for a Fall evening and pretty easy…just takes a while to simmer so make it the night before. I used Jamie Oliver’s Beef & Ale Stew and added in some fresh made in-house beef and bacon sausages that I …
Quinoa and Kale Salad
Quinoa and kale are great combined. Add in aromatic toasted almonds for crunch and dried cranberries for a hit of sweet to offset the kale and WHAM…yummy salad (even if the photo is a bit blurry…I was shaking from hunger).
Ingredients:
1 bunch kale washed and spun with the centre stem removed (it’s too tough for this salad)1 c. quinoa cooked
1 c. toasted sliced almonds
1 c. chopped dried cranberries
Dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Make the dressing first and let the flavours mellowed while you wash and finely chop the kale (layer the leaves and the roll them before chopping, it’s easier).
Toss the kale in the dressing and let sit while you prepare the other ingredients.
Quinoa:
Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in running cold water. Bring 1 1/2 c. of water to a boil. Add the quinoa and 1/2 tsp of salt and stir. Bring the mixture back to boil, cover and reduce heat to a gentle simmer and let simmer for 15 minutes (until water is gone). Remove from heat and let stand for an additional 5 minutes. Turn out onto a tray and let it cool before adding it to the salad.
Toast the almonds and chop the cranberries. Toss the quinoa, almonds and cranberries into the kale.
Serves 6. Refrigerate the leftovers for a great packed salad.
Thai Tom Kha Gai soup with Chicken and Rice Vermicelli Noodles
One of my favourite Thai soups is Tom Kha Gai. It’s a mildly spicy soup with coconut milk to add a bit of body and flavour. For this soup I used the Thai Tom Yum Soup spice paste from Asian Home Gourmet. It’s a bit …