From chezus.com
Because a girl can't live by St. Andre cheese, smoked oysters and pickles alone, I thought I'd give this a whirl - I used to make a bean dip when I lived on the coast, and this is likely quite similar - I recall it being super easy, and really satisfying. Serve generously w/ veggies and/or crackers - low fat, high fibre, great taste! I have halved the recipe, which fills a ziplock container.
1 15 oz can white beans, rinsed & drained
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 heaping tsp fresh rosemary, minced
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tbsp lemon zest
s & p
1/4 cup olive oil
Place everything except except oil in a food processor, process until smooth. Slowly add olive oil while food processor is running. Season w/ additional s & p to taste.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Pumpkin Molasses Bars
From havecakewilltravel.
I wanted to switch up the breakfast bran muffin thing with something a little different - made some granola bars a few weeks ago, and now these bars - wow - they really pack a punch - super dense and flavourful, they will be perfect with a smoothie. The recipe called for 1 cup of light spelt flour, but I substituted 1/2 cup whole wheat flour plus 1/2 of bran - cuz bran is good times; and added some pumpkin seeds for crunch.
Non-stick cooking spray
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour plus 1/2 of bran
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/6 cup dried cranberries, 1/6 cup pumpkin seeds
Oven - 350°F. Lightly coat an 8" square baking pan w/ cooking spray.
In a med saucepan, heat pumpkin, molasses, sugar, and oil until smooth and combined, for about 2 mins. Stir in vanilla.
Fold in oats, flour/bran mixture, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cranberries & pumpkin seeds.
Press mixture into prepared pan, bake for 25 mins.
Place pan on a wire rack to cool, the slice.
I wanted to switch up the breakfast bran muffin thing with something a little different - made some granola bars a few weeks ago, and now these bars - wow - they really pack a punch - super dense and flavourful, they will be perfect with a smoothie. The recipe called for 1 cup of light spelt flour, but I substituted 1/2 cup whole wheat flour plus 1/2 of bran - cuz bran is good times; and added some pumpkin seeds for crunch.
Non-stick cooking spray
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour plus 1/2 of bran
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/6 cup dried cranberries, 1/6 cup pumpkin seeds
Oven - 350°F. Lightly coat an 8" square baking pan w/ cooking spray.
In a med saucepan, heat pumpkin, molasses, sugar, and oil until smooth and combined, for about 2 mins. Stir in vanilla.
Fold in oats, flour/bran mixture, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cranberries & pumpkin seeds.
Press mixture into prepared pan, bake for 25 mins.
Place pan on a wire rack to cool, the slice.
Lellie’s Eggy Sausage Casserole
Well I'm giving my sis the credit for this recipe, because she served this up (amongst numerous wonderful goodies!) for her annual xmas brunch - and it was a big hit!
I altered the recipe a bit, by (1) adding chopped peppers, (2) cutting back on the cheese and (2) reducing the butter content, thus reducing the 'roux' portion of the recipe. I remedied this by using some bread crumbs to add as a binding agent. What I love is the addition of cottage cheese, which makes the dish fluffy and light. Yum!
I'm making this again this wkd, and using black forest ham, spinach and asparagus - I find eggy dishes very forgiving. Oh, and the best part, is we had this every 2nd day for breakfast, until it was gone - it heats up nicely in the microwave, and makes for a nice change from bran!
3/4 lb hot Italian sausage
1 tbsp butter
4 green onions, chopped
A bunch of sliced brown mushrooms
One diced pepper
10 eggs, beaten
1 (16 ounce) container low-fat cottage cheese
A couple handfuls of shredded sharp cheddar
One 4 ounce can diced green chile peppers, drained
3 tbsp whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter, melted
handful of bread crumbs
Cook sausage if using, to your liking; set aside. Melt butter in skillet, saute green onions, peppers & mushrooms until tender.
In a large bowl, mix the eggs, cottage cheese, cheese, and chiles. Stir in the sausage mixture. Cover, and refrigerate overnight. (I made it the day of - but good to know!)
350 degree oven. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.
In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the melted butter. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
Bake 40-50 mins (I think I needed a bit more time), or until lightly brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
I altered the recipe a bit, by (1) adding chopped peppers, (2) cutting back on the cheese and (2) reducing the butter content, thus reducing the 'roux' portion of the recipe. I remedied this by using some bread crumbs to add as a binding agent. What I love is the addition of cottage cheese, which makes the dish fluffy and light. Yum!
I'm making this again this wkd, and using black forest ham, spinach and asparagus - I find eggy dishes very forgiving. Oh, and the best part, is we had this every 2nd day for breakfast, until it was gone - it heats up nicely in the microwave, and makes for a nice change from bran!
3/4 lb hot Italian sausage
1 tbsp butter
4 green onions, chopped
A bunch of sliced brown mushrooms
One diced pepper
10 eggs, beaten
1 (16 ounce) container low-fat cottage cheese
A couple handfuls of shredded sharp cheddar
One 4 ounce can diced green chile peppers, drained
3 tbsp whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter, melted
handful of bread crumbs
Cook sausage if using, to your liking; set aside. Melt butter in skillet, saute green onions, peppers & mushrooms until tender.
In a large bowl, mix the eggs, cottage cheese, cheese, and chiles. Stir in the sausage mixture. Cover, and refrigerate overnight. (I made it the day of - but good to know!)
350 degree oven. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.
In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the melted butter. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
Bake 40-50 mins (I think I needed a bit more time), or until lightly brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Carvery Black Bean Soup
I have no idea where this originated from, but my mom gave me the recipe, and I've been making it for years! Very robust and flavourful, it makes a ton of soup, whose flavours develop day after day, and it freezes really well. You can scoop out the beans and use them as a base for quesadillas - very tasty! I double the amount of beans originally called for, as I like a thicker soup.
2 lbs black turtle beans (original recipe calls for 1 lb)
one onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 or 3 carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 cup Heinz chili sauce
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cumin
12 cups (3 containers) chicken stock
sour cream (opt)
Soak beans overnight.
In large stock pot, cook veggies 5-10 mins in a little chicken stock, add garlic, spices and bay leaves. Drain off beans and add to veggie mixture. Add stock and chili sauce. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook 3-4 hours (yes, it does take that long!). Serve with a dollop of sour cream (chopped cilantro is also nice).
2 lbs black turtle beans (original recipe calls for 1 lb)
one onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 or 3 carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 cup Heinz chili sauce
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cumin
12 cups (3 containers) chicken stock
sour cream (opt)
Soak beans overnight.
In large stock pot, cook veggies 5-10 mins in a little chicken stock, add garlic, spices and bay leaves. Drain off beans and add to veggie mixture. Add stock and chili sauce. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook 3-4 hours (yes, it does take that long!). Serve with a dollop of sour cream (chopped cilantro is also nice).
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Sauce
Another killer recipe from The Silver Palate, Good Times.
I’ve been perusing the three Silver Palate cookbooks in my collection – and they are fabulous! Brings back good memories, cooking with my sis in Victoria, trying out new recipes in our culinary formative years!
This sauce is excellent – it cooks on the stove for ages (in fact, mine was on the stove for 2 hrs, not the 1 they called for), and after blending, all the flavours marry wonderfully. This would be amazing with a stuffed pasta, but I’ll likely use a fusili type, and use some of the sauce for pizzas. Good times indeed!
1/4 cup oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (I omitted this)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, minced
3 carrots, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 cans (28 oz. each) tomatoes, undrained
3/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
1 cup dry white wine (I used red, as that’s what I had on hand)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Heat the oil (and butter if using) in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and fennel seeds and sauté for 15 minutes. Stir in the canned tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, wine, and s & p to taste. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour (or 2?), stirring occasionally. Cool slightly, then transfer the sauce to a food processor, and process with repeated pulses until blended but not smooth. Tiny chunks should still remain. Serve the sauce over a hearty pasta, such as thick spaghetti or ziti, with freshly grated Parmesan.
I’ve been perusing the three Silver Palate cookbooks in my collection – and they are fabulous! Brings back good memories, cooking with my sis in Victoria, trying out new recipes in our culinary formative years!
This sauce is excellent – it cooks on the stove for ages (in fact, mine was on the stove for 2 hrs, not the 1 they called for), and after blending, all the flavours marry wonderfully. This would be amazing with a stuffed pasta, but I’ll likely use a fusili type, and use some of the sauce for pizzas. Good times indeed!
1/4 cup oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (I omitted this)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, minced
3 carrots, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 cans (28 oz. each) tomatoes, undrained
3/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
1 cup dry white wine (I used red, as that’s what I had on hand)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Heat the oil (and butter if using) in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and fennel seeds and sauté for 15 minutes. Stir in the canned tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, wine, and s & p to taste. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour (or 2?), stirring occasionally. Cool slightly, then transfer the sauce to a food processor, and process with repeated pulses until blended but not smooth. Tiny chunks should still remain. Serve the sauce over a hearty pasta, such as thick spaghetti or ziti, with freshly grated Parmesan.
Chicken Breasts in Champagne
From The Silver Palate, Good Times.
This is a show-stopper dish if there ever was one – it’s easy to prepare, and the flavours are intense and so satisfying (and boozy!) – first had this dish visiting my sis in Calgary, and it blew our minds – I’ve made it only twice since, and receives raves every time (because everyone was drunk?).
I halved the recipe, and also reduced the cooking time of the chicken from 45 minutes to 25 minutes – perhaps when more chicken is in the pan, the longer it takes to cook? In any event, they were done to perfection.
2 whole chicken breasts, halved
S & P to taste
2 ½ tbsp unsalted butter
¼ cup cognac
1 ½ tbsp flour
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 ¾ cups dry sparkling wine
¼ cup light cream
Sprinkle chicken breasts w/ s & p. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken breasts on all sides, for about 10 mins. Remove from pan, and set aside.
Pour the cognac into the pan, warm it, and flame with a match. When flame subsides, stir in the flour and tarragon. Cook 2 mins, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in the shampers. Return the chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer until chicken is tender, approx. 25 mins.
Remove chicken, stir in the cream. Cook sauce on high heat until reduced and slightly thickened. Pour sauce over the chicken and serve immediately. OMG.
This is a show-stopper dish if there ever was one – it’s easy to prepare, and the flavours are intense and so satisfying (and boozy!) – first had this dish visiting my sis in Calgary, and it blew our minds – I’ve made it only twice since, and receives raves every time (because everyone was drunk?).
I halved the recipe, and also reduced the cooking time of the chicken from 45 minutes to 25 minutes – perhaps when more chicken is in the pan, the longer it takes to cook? In any event, they were done to perfection.
2 whole chicken breasts, halved
S & P to taste
2 ½ tbsp unsalted butter
¼ cup cognac
1 ½ tbsp flour
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 ¾ cups dry sparkling wine
¼ cup light cream
Sprinkle chicken breasts w/ s & p. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken breasts on all sides, for about 10 mins. Remove from pan, and set aside.
Pour the cognac into the pan, warm it, and flame with a match. When flame subsides, stir in the flour and tarragon. Cook 2 mins, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in the shampers. Return the chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer until chicken is tender, approx. 25 mins.
Remove chicken, stir in the cream. Cook sauce on high heat until reduced and slightly thickened. Pour sauce over the chicken and serve immediately. OMG.
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