Cooking with Mama T

2010-05-31T14:33:00.003-06:00

Muffin cookies: Mmmm, yummy
I have been trying, off and on, over the past six months to make a muffin-style cookie similar to a certain Chunky Monkey cookie at a neighborhood foodie joint. Until this afternoon, I hadn't succeeded with anything that tasted remotely good. I modified a recipe from a kids cookbook from some library somewhere (could be the school or the public) and here's what they came out like:
Satisfyingly moist and thick and soft, no crunchy edges and enough bananas to give you a real monkey sense of goodness. Oh, and chocolate chips to make the perfect snack.
1/2 cup of butter
3/4 cup of agave and maple syrup, mixed in whatever ratio you want
1 egg
2 cups of fruit (the original said pumpkin, I used banana)
1 tsp of vanilla
2 cups of flour (I used half AP and half whole wheat)
3/4 tsp BS
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup of chocolate chips
1. Cream the butter, syrups and egg together. Add fruit and vanilla. Mix dry separately and add to wet, mixing just enough to combine.
2. Drop onto parchment or greased sheet, very wet dough, you will need a second spoon to push it off. Bake for 18 minutes at 350 or until golden.

2010-04-05T21:28:00.002-06:00

Yum YUM
Okay, this 'bread in five minutes' thing is amazing. I seriously threw all the ingredients into an old ice cream container, stirred it up for less than 2 minutes and covered it with saran with a corner loose for escaping gas (no lid yet) and left it for about 3 hours on top of the stove to rise. Into the fridge where it sat for a day and I made my first loaf today. Grabbed a handful of the goop (and this one is seriously goopy) and shaped it a bit, left it to rise for longer than I was supposed to (because I went to pick up the girls up the street and stayed for 2 or 3 hours and a glass of vino) and then baked it when I got home. Amazing texture, moisture and look. This one is a healthier version than the last, all-white-flour one. I did add about 1/3 cup of wheat gluten just in case, to help it rise. And I didn't use all whole wheat flour, but maybe about 2/3 and the rest white flour. I skimped on the salt a bit, which I shouldn't have but other than that, no complaints! See for yourself:

The inside

Half of the loaf after dinner

2010-02-20T17:25:00.001-07:00

Making a cake for a lot of people!
This is the Joy of Cooking's Hot Milk Sponge cake recipe, times 9. Yes, I used 45 eggs, 3 litres of whipping cream, 6 pints of strawberries and a jar of jam that would last our family a year. I baked it in a large chafing (spelling?) pan that my neighbor/chef pal brought home from his work. The cakes are sitting on an aluminum foil-covered chalkboard that I found in the back alley some time ago. 3 cakes took 4 hours to make, from start to finish. I used a food processor (to make the sugar powdery), the Bamix to whip the cream and the Kitchenaid mixer to mix all the ingrediants. The first one took the longest, but then I was experienced in making a triple batch and was flying. The cakes took 45 minutes to bake instead of the recommended 20 and they were pretty dense. Could it be all the eggs? I cut down on the sugar (as I always do) and was suddenly worried that I'd be serving 70-100 of my neighbors a scrambled egg cake. mmmmm, yum!There's the mega jar of jam that I used in its entirety as a middle layer

Here's my cute helper, directing where the blobs of whipping cream went
(what you see is 2 of the 3 litres).

These are the sliced strawberries, drying. The sink to the right is full of the remaining whole ones that I used around the edge of the cake

The Danish and Canadian flags, out of strawberries

A quote about friends that Val and I found online, that had a positive message for once, unlike the majority! It's FINISHED!

Happy that the cake is finished, now to get it to the function in one piece!

Frederick and Bettina, checking it out

2009-07-20T08:26:00.004-06:00

Welsh Cakes
One of Clara's classmates brought these to school for her snack day (technically, her mum did but whatever). I quite liked them and asked for the recipe, being drawn to baked goods that are from the UK and might be traditional. Of course, I modified the recipe for health reasons but they are quite yummy and would be extra good with cheese on top or clotted cream and jam, perhaps!

2 cups flour (1 AP, 1 WW)
2 tsp BP
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter/marg
1/2 cup dried fruit (traditionally currents but I used raisins)
1/4 cup sweetener (recipe calls for white sugar but I used Agave syrup)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup of milk (I used buttermilk)

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients, cut in the butter and combine until crumbs, mix in the dried fruit and sweetener (if you are using sugar, add to the flour/dry mixture). Combine egg and milk and add to the batter to make a lightly sticky dough. Turn onto a floured surface and roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into the shape of choice (I made rounds). Heat a frying pan on low and cook slowly until browned on both sides (I didn't use any grease in the pan but I used a cast iron and a teflon crepe pan). The heat should be lower than you use to cook pancakes. They should take about 20 minutes to cook and will rise a bit.

Second batch, waiting to be fried

The leaning tower of Welsh Cakes

Arrrrr, it's getting hot in here

2009-06-30T17:37:00.002-06:00

The most delicious veggie burgers
Our cooking group meets once a month and we cook up a storm and swap meals. We each take home 4 different vegetarian entrees and this is what Gillian made for us this month. So good. So good.

Veggie Burgers

These veggie burgers get their rich, earthy flavor from mushrooms and nutty quinoa, and are topped with sharp radish sprouts and cool cucumbers. Greek yogurt is a zesty Mediterranean replacement for ketchup.

Ingredients

Serves 6.

* 2 portobello mushrooms (8 ounces), stems removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* 1 small zucchini
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
* 1/4 cup minced shallot (1 large shallot)
* 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
* 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
* 3/4 cup quinoa, cooked according to package directions (2 cups cooked)
* 2 teaspoons coarse salt
* Freshly ground pepper
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* 1 1/2 cups fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs
* 6 whole-wheat buns, split
* Yogurt-Garlic Sauce
* 1 cup radish sprouts, or other fresh sprouts
* 1/2 English cucumber, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Directions
1. Pulse mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped, and transfer to a bowl. Shred zucchini, place on paper towels, and squeeze to remove excess moisture. Add to mushrooms.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add shallot and red-pepper flakes, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and zucchini, and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and add Parmesan, quinoa, and salt. Season with pepper. Let cool completely, then stir in egg and breadcrumbs. Cover, and refrigerate until cold and firm, about 1 hour.
3. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Shape mixture into six 1/2-inch-thick patties, pressing firmly. Cook in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
4. Wipe pan clean, and return to medium heat. Brush cut sides of buns with oil, and heat buns, cut sides down, until toasted, about 1 minute. Spread yogurt-garlic sauce on cut sides of bun halves. Divide burgers, sprouts, and cucumber among bottom halves. Sandwich with top halves.

Copyright 2009 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

2009-06-30T17:05:00.005-06:00

Learning Something New
A new recipe tonight is shaping up very very nicely. It's "Acorn Squash Sauce" from Claire's Corner Copia Cookbook (vegan). When I asked Ben to buy 4 large acorn squash (squashes?), I didn't count on them taking up so much space in my medium-sized fridge. So, I moved this meal ahead instead of waiting to make it on the weekend.

Serves 8
4 large acorn squash, cut in half and seeded
1/2 cup of veg oil (I used olive)
6 large cloves of garlic, chopped (I used garlic from a jar, so shoot me)
1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped (I always use scissors to cut up herbs, way quicker)
1/4 cup basil leaves, chopped
SNP to taste
1 package noodles (I used whole wheat linguine)

Oven at 425. Arrange squash cut side down on a cookie sheet with sides, cover with foil and, once in oven, pour boiling water onto sheet to 1/2 inch. Bake for about 15 minutes and then turn off the oven and leave for about 1 hour. NOTE: the recipe said to bake for 1 hour and then cool but I had to go out and didn't want to leave the oven on so I turned it off and came back later and tada! cooked to perfection - I LOVE finding out energy-efficient tips this way :)
Once cooled, scoop out flesh and set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet and cook garlic, basil and parsley for about 10 minutes on low. The garlic should be softened but not brown. Add the squash, SNP and cook, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Spoon some sauce over noodles and toss well. Serve with remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with butter, brown sugar or agave syrup if you want.

2009-06-28T20:12:00.002-06:00

Chocolate Energy Bars
I have just finished my first ever boot camp and the instructor, Jen, rewarded our efforts at the last class with a tasting of these bars. She provides them for her marathon runners and, I have to say, they beat a package of Gu any day.
However, they really do give you energy and should come with a warning that they'll keep you up if you have them at night.

1 1/4 Cup natural *creamy peanut butter (or more, can also use almond butter)
¾ Cup honey
¾ Cup brown sugar
½ Cup cocoa
1 1/4 Cups Oatmeal (more for more density in the bars)
1 1/2 Cups Rice Krispies (more to make the bars lighter)
1 Cup dried fruit (i.e. Craisons)
1 Cup crushed peanuts (or almonds)

If mixture seems dry or crumbly, add more peanut butter, less oats/ krispies.

How to prepare:
In a pot, combine peanut butter, honey, brown sugar, cocoa and cook until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
Spray a 9 X 13 inch pan with oil and firmly press batter in pan.

Cut into small squares, cover, place in fridge to set and cool. Can then remove them from pan, wrap in plastic and freeze for snacks when needed.

*peanut butter needs to be creamy as you need the moisture to hold the bar together.

Coconut Yam Fritters | Planet Organic Market

2009-06-25T15:57:00.002-06:00

Coconut Yam Fritters | Planet Organic Market
This looks really yummy and I just love yams so I think I'll haul out the food processor and give it a go. Let you know how they turn out!

These Asian-inspired fritters, developed for a Planet Organic Cooking class, are an excellent way to enjoy the sweet earthy taste and nutritional goodness of yams.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb	Yams (about 1/2 of a large yam)	250 g
1/2 cup	Unbleached white flour	125 ml
1/2 cup	Rice flour	125 ml
1/2 tsp	Turmeric, ground	2 ml
1/2 tsp	Sea salt	2 ml
1/2 tsp	Baking powder	2 ml
1 cup	Coconut milk	250 ml
-	Canola oil (enough to pan-fry)	-

Method

Peel the yam, grate coarsely and extract as much moisture as possible by squeezing in your hands.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the two flours with the baking powder, salt and turmeric. Toss in the grated yam.

Gradually add enough coconut milk to moisten. If the mixture becomes too dry, add more coconut milk; however, it should be solid enough to hold its shape.

In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of the oil to medium-high heat. Lightly form a heaping teaspoon of the fritter mixture and fry on both sides until golden brown. Flatten slightly with a spatula to ensure the inside is cooked. You may need to add small amounts of oil as you go.

Once made, keep them in a warming dish in a preheated oven. Serve fritters with a plate of soft lettuce, herbs, bean sprouts and dipping sauces. Yields 4 servings.
Posted using ShareThis

2009-04-13T08:19:00.003-06:00

Kid Cobb Salad: Don't let the name fool you

I found this recipe at Atascocita Branch Library, where I worked in Texas, in an old parenting magazine. And we used to eat it a lot when we lived in Houston but it fell off the menu list when the kids came around (something about lettuce that kids don't, at first, understand). We had it on Saturday night and I remembered why we loved, loved, loved it. So, here you go:

1 head of romaine, chopped
1/2 cup of carrots, chopped
1 large avocado, chopped
1 cup roasted turkey breast, chopped (we used Tofurkey)
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 cup shredded cheese (any type)
4 strips of crumbled bacon (we usually leave this out)
Ranch dressing

And while it doesn't sound like much, it's surprisingly filling and yummy.

2009-04-03T11:32:00.004-06:00

Making cookies en masse
Here's a tip that I picked up from our neighbor who is a chef. He makes batches of cookie dough and divides out enough for a dozen cookies, shapes it into a long rectangle on plastic wrap, wraps it up and freezes it. Then he pulls it out of the freezer, slices the dough up and bakes it from frozen. I think you need to add a couple of minutes to the overall bake time to make up for the freezing but they taste great. I tried this with wax paper and I wouldn't recommend wax paper because it tears too easily. Also, you need to make sure that the plastic wrap isn't embedded in the dough somehow otherwise when you take it off, it will be frozen 'in' the dough and you might not get it out without having to thaw the whole batch of dough. Here are the ones I made last night (chocolate chip cranberry almond cookies) and, as you can see, I wasn't sure how much dough would make a dozen cookies.

2009-03-31T19:19:00.002-06:00

Cabbage-Mushroom Sauce
Okay, this one doesn't sound that exciting but it is really, really yummy. And cabbage is one of the three farty veggies that we're all supposed to eat once a week (along with broccoli and cauliflower).

1/3 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium red onion, diced
1 medium cabbage, chopped (I used a green one)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 pound of mushrooms (hmmm, about 4 cups)
1 tbsp dried dill weed
S&P to taste
1/4 cup of water
noodles (we used soba noodles because they were in the pantry but the recipe calls for spinach-fettucine)

Heat the oil in a large pot over ML heat, add the garlic and onion. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often until softened but not brown. Add the rest (except the noodles) and cover the pot. Raise the heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes, or until the cabbage is soft, stirring often. Meanwhile, cook the noodles to coincide with the sauce being finished. Serves 6.

2009-03-12T15:37:00.002-06:00

Leftover Oatmeal Cookies
Pippa loves oatmeal but we often have leftover (especially on the mornings when I'm not fully awake and mis-measure and end up making oatmeal for 6). A couple of weeks ago, I went hunting for a recipe that would use up the leftover oatmeal because it was so wasteful to throw it away, but no one wanted to eat cold, gummy oatmeal.
This cookie recipe turned out really well, with my usual modifications. (original is from Mrs. Fields Cookie Book)

2.25 cups of flour (I used all-purpose this time because we were out of whole wheat but would probably use half-half normally)
1/2 cup of wheat bran
1/2 tsp BS
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup of cooked oatmeal (generous)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup of marg/butter
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1.5 cups golden raisins
3/4 cup of chocolate chips (substitute nuts if you prefer)

Mix the oatmeal, sugars, butter, honey, vanilla and eggs together. Measure out dry ingredients (I dump it into the mixer bowl but you can measure it into a separate bowl if you prefer) and mix together. Fold in raisins and chocolate chips. Drop onto parchment paper, bake at 300 for 22 minutes. Cool and store.

2009-02-25T13:52:00.004-07:00

Not-my-mum's Shepherd's Pie
And that is because it's from the Joy of Cooking but I've modified it somewhat. It's really really nice and although I make it with soy grounds, would be good with any kind of ground meat, I'm sure.

1.5 lbs of potatoes (that's about 6-8 medium)
butter
salt
canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stick of celery, chopped
1/2 zuccini, chopped
8 mushrooms, chopped
frozen peas and/or corn
2 cups of soy grounds (or 1 lb of cooked ground meat)
1 tbsp flour
3/4 cup of stock
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp fresh rosemary (I tend to use sage here)
s&p
butter

Peel, quarter, boil the potatoes. Drain but save some cooking liquid in the pot and mash potatoes in the pot with butter and some salt.
While potatoes are boiling, heat oil in a pan (i use the medium cast iron) and cook the veggies until soft (start with onions and add the rest once the onions are softened). Stir in the grounds, and then sprinkle the flour over the whole mixture. Cook, stirring for about 2-3 minutes, then pour in the stock. This will thicken very quickly. Stir in the herbs, and spoon mixture into a shallow baking dish. Spoon the mashed potatoes over top, smoothing down and dotting with bits of butter. Bake at 400 for about 30-35 minutes (will probably bubble over so put something underneath to catch the drips), turn oven to broil and broil until top is browned, about 2 minutes.

2009-01-31T14:35:00.005-07:00

Very Healthy Zucchini Chocolate Muffins
These muffins should cool completely before you eat them otherwise you'll really taste the zucchini, unless you like that.

1/3 cup butter, melted (could substitute oil)
1/3 cup sour cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

1.5 cups flour (I use a combination of whole wheat and all purpose)
1/4 cup ground flax
1/4 wheat germ
1 tsp each BP/BS
1/2 tsp each cinnamon/salt
1.5 cups zukes, shredded
1/2 cup chocolate chips (you can use raisins, nuts or cranberries)

Oven at 375, greased or lined muffin pan. Makes about 12.
Mix the first 5 ingrediants (cream). Combine the dry and add to the wet. Mix in zuke and chocolate chips. Spoon into muffin pan (about 1/3 cup each) and bake, 21 minutes at high altitude, slightly less lower down.

These are the most wonderful creation. No more paper liners and they work like a charm. Only thing you need to do is let them cool in the silicone liners before you take them out. I think the sweatiness created by this causes the muffins to just fall right out. I found them at Safeway for about $12.

2009-01-22T17:03:00.000-07:00

Sue's Spinach Souffle
This recipe came from Ben's mum. She says she found it in a Cuisinart Baby Cookbook and made it because it had 4 eggs in it and was a way of getting kids to eat eggs. I'm a bit surprised by this as I'd think that it would be easier to get kids to eat eggs than a whack-load of spinach. However, it's one of our favourite side dishes, often found next to the Cornbread Pudding at Christmas or Thanksgiving Dinner. And we normally call it Spinach Goo, but that doesn't sound all that appetizing, does it? And Clara says, "It doesn't look very good but it tastes good!"

750 g frozen spinach, thawed and drained
4 eggs
1 onion, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated cheddar

Preheat oven to 375
1. Using a food processor, process salt, onion and 4 eggs. Add as much spinach as will fit and process until it's nearly smooth. Transfer mixture to an oiled shallow baking dish (I use spray oil) and finish processing remaining spinach. Add to dish and stir gently to combine. (If you have a large food processor-I don't- you should be able to fit it all in one go)
2. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until mixture is set.
3. Remove from oven, spread with sour cream and sprinkle cheese on top. Broil about 5 minutes until the cheese melts. Serve immediately

I have made this ahead, stopping after Step 1, covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating until I am ready to bake it. I have also used fresh spinach which I wilt beforehand in a big pot with about an inch of water and some garlic thrown in for good measure.

2009-01-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

Making Crabapple Jelly
We inherited a beautiful crap apple tree in the backyard when we moved into this house. It's our only tree (sigh) but it's a good one. Every spring it flowers for three days and then every fall, I gather the apples and make crab apple jelly. It had been on my mental list of things to do for a while but was expedited due to Pippa's tendency to eat the fallen apples. Yuck. But it didn't stop her despite the anticipated side-effect a few hours later. Last night, I picked all the apples and Ben started the process. We found a recipe online because, despite having made this jelly the past two years, I didn't have a recipe. This one seems good although the true test has yet to be taken, as we haven't tasted the final product yet.

CRABAPPLE JELLY RECIPE

Wash 16 c. ripe crabapples

(we doubled this as we had so many apples)

Cover with water (about 8 c.) & bring to boil.

(The apples expand alot so make sure you have lots of space in the pots -
I used our big stock pot and 2 large stew pots)

Simmer 15 minutes.
Crush crabapples after 10 minutes.

(I used the potato smasher)

Place cooked crabapples & liquid in strainer (lined with cheesecloth)
over large bowl until juice is strained (makes about 6 cups).

I started using the directed cheesecloth and strainer but it took so long, so long, so long, that I ended up ditching the cheesecloth. I think what this does is let enough apple through that the jelly might be cloudy. I can live with that.

Measure juice = __ c. (Make note of this quantity for later.)

(We made 7.5 cups of apple liquid)

Prepare jars/lids etc. as appropriate to canning.
Boil crabapple juice in large pot about 5 minutes.
Add slightly less sugar than the juice measure (above). (I added 6 cups)
Boil about 20 minutes to 220°F.

Skim off foam. (I did this while it was boiling)
Ladle juice into jars, leaving 1/2" headspace.
Wipe rims clean for a tight seal.
Put on lids & screw tops "fingertip tight".
Put filled jars in boiling water, with jar lids covered by 1" of water.
Boil 10 minutes.
Remove jars & allow to sit overnight on rack.

(I made 9 jars, Christmas presents abound!)

Check seals & label the jars.

2009-01-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

Easy Wheat Bread

We are still without a breadmaker. Well, I could rephrase that to be, we are without an electronic breadmaker as there it seems to have been replaced by me-the-breadmaker. I do cheat a bit and use the kitchenaid mixer to mix and knead, something that I just do not enjoy. This is our favourite recipe from the breadmachine, just made without the machine. It only takes 5 (or maybe 6) ingrediants and is very very yummy.

True Whole Wheat bread
To make a 2 pound loaf (or 2 one pounders)
1.25 cups lukewarm water (I adjust for dryness to 1.5 cups)
2.25 tsp yeast

2 tablespoons honey
4 cups whole wheat flour (I use a mix of whole wheat and multi-grain)
5.5 tsp vital wheat gluten (you may be able to opt out of this)
1.25 tsp salt

Mix the yeast, honey and lukewarm water in the mixing bowl. Let it stand a bit and make sure you mix it all together as the yeast might clump. You could avoid the clumping by making a paste of the yeast and a bit of the water but I never do. Add the flour, gluten and salt. Mix with the dough hook for about 10 minutes or until the dough is somewhat elastic-like. Transfer to a oiled bowl, cover with saran wrap and let rise in a warm spot (I use the oven with the oven light on) until doubled and a finger poked in it leaves and indentation. Knead it down and shape it into whatever you want, one loaf, two loaves, in a pan (greased) or on parchment paper. Let rise again. Preheat the oven to 450, bake for 10 minutes then turn the oven down to 350 and bake until the bottom sounds hollow and you can smell the bread (about 20 minutes longer). You can mist the sides and bottom of the oven a couple of times during the first 10 minutes for humidity (the Joy recommends this). Let cool.

2009-01-21T20:06:00.001-07:00

Fresh Apple Cookies
So soft, so moist, so tasty. And good for you too, with apples and whole wheat flour! From The Best of Bridge.

Preheat oven to 375.
Mix 2 cups of flour (your preference, I use half whole wheat half all-purpose) with 1 tsp baking soda. Cream together 1/2 cup of butter, 1 cup of brown sugar, packed, 1 tsp each cinnamon & cloves, 1/2 tsp each nutmeg and salt and 1 egg, beaten. Add 1/2 flour mixture to butter mixture and mix. Add 1/4 cup of milk and mix. Add 1 cup chopped apples, 1/2 cup of nuts (I like slivered almonds) and 1 cup of raisins to remaining flour mixture and combine with butter mixture. Mix until combined and drop spoonfuls onto a greased sheet (or parchment paper). Bake for 10 minutes.
Glaze while warm with 1 cup icing sugar mixed with 1 tbsp butter, 1/4 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 1/2 tbsp milk.

2009-01-21T20:05:00.003-07:00

Blueberry Bran Muffins
This is the absolute best bran muffin recipe I have ever made and tasted. I added blueberries, but have made them with wheat gherm, coconut, nuts, raisins.

Oven at 400F, muffin pan lined with papers (I used large or extra-large). In a med. bowl mix 1/4 cup canola oil, 1/4 cup molasses, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1 cup milk (I often use buttermilk) and 1 1/4 cups bran (wheat or oat). In a small bowl (I use my large glass measuring cup) mix 1 cup flour (I use whole wheat), 1.5 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt. Stir and dump in all but a tiny bit into the wet mixture and stir. In the remaining bit of flour mixture, coat 1/2 cup berries/nuts/raisins and mix into mixture. Fill muffin papers and bake for 16-18 minutes. The key here is to not overcook them. If you do, people will take a bite and smile but think "this is why bran muffins suck, they are so dry".

2009-01-21T20:05:00.001-07:00

Jeannie's Zero Point Soup
A few nights ago, I decided to try this soup of Jeannie's. However, because I was feeding a 3 year-old, I added a couple of fattier items, didn't think it was so good to feed her zero points at night. Turns out she wasn't wild about the soup after all, but that could be because she ruined her appetite with crackers and cheese prior to dinner. Oh well. I really liked it though.

Nearly Zero Point Soup
Saute in olive oil 2 minced cloves of garlic and 1 onion, chopped. When fragrant, add 2/3 c sliced carrot, 2/3 c chopped cabbage, 2 chopped parsnips, 1/2 c chopped turnip, 6 cups of broth, 1 tsp of tomato paste. Bring to a boil and season with dried basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 25 minutes then add 2 zucchinis, chopped and cook about 5 minutes longer. Cool soup slightly and stir in plain yogourt (if soup is too hot, the yogo will curdle). Serve with chunks of avocado in the soup and cornbread.

2009-01-21T20:04:00.002-07:00

Mince Pies
Every year, since I can remember, mince pies have been made in copious dozens and consumed at alarmingly fast rates in my family. Combined with a dry sherry, there is nothing else that makes me feel more Christmassy than this. They are to be eaten at all times of the day, including for breakfast. In our home, Santa gets a glass of Sherry and two mince pies on Christmas Eve. No milk and cookies for that old gent. And because I have to phone my mum EVERY year to ask the same question about baking temperature, I thought I might as well post the directions etc. to making delicious mince pies (or mince tarts).
There are some vital tools that you will need, many of which I have only found in the UK. My tart pans and cutters came from England but I'm sure you can use something else. Before I had the cutters I used different drinking glasses.
Make your favourite pastry (I use the "flaky pastry" recipe from the Joy of Cooking) and roll it out on a floured surface to about 2 mms thick. Cut out 12 large circles (bottoms) and 12 smaller circles (tops). Grease the tart pan and line each tart section with a bottom. Fill each tart with about 1.5 tsps of Crosse and Blackwell's mincemeat. This is the key. Almost all other mincemeats are pretty awful tasting but the Crosse and Blackwell line is delicious. Using warm water, wet the edge of a top and place wet side down on the filled tart. Push/tuck the top into the bottom. Snip the top with scissors and paint the top with milk. Bake in a 400F oven for about 20 minutes. Tarts should slide right out of pan, or you didn't grease them enough. Cool and serve.
Being filled:

Snipped and milked:

Ready to bake:

Ready to eat:

2009-01-21T20:04:00.001-07:00

Nelson brownie recipe
Possibly the easiest recipe I've made and always yummy. You can add anything to it, like nuts, cocount, marshmallows, whatever.

In an 8x8 non-stick pan:
1/2 cup butter/marg, melted and cooled
1/2 cup cocoa & 1 cup sugar, mix in
2 eggs, beaten, mixed in
1/2 cup flour, mixed in
nuts, etc.

Bake for 25 minutes at 350 F.

2009-01-21T20:03:00.002-07:00

Making Yogurt
I borrowed a copy of Cooking Light: Annual Recipes 2006 from the library and I have been working my way through the tome for new ideas. There's a feature on making your own yogurt and it looks surprisingly easy so I think I'll give it a go. Here's the instructions. Does anyone have any previous experiences to share?

Homemade Yogurt

4 cups 1% low-fat milk (or whatever grade you want)
2 tbsp plain low-fat yogurt (or whatever grade you want, as long as it contains live and active cultures)

Place milk in a large saucepan, heat over medium/high until bubbles appear. Remove from heat. Cool until temp registers 110-112 on a thermometre. Transfer milk to a glass container and stir in yogurt. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in an unheated oven (gas - with pilot light on; electric - with light on) for 8 hours to overnight. Remove wrap and gently shake container to see if it is thick. If not, let sit a few hours longer. When thick, place container in fridge to chill. Makes 4 cups.

2009-01-21T20:03:00.001-07:00

Lassy Mogs
When we first moved back to Canada, I bought some President's Choice Lassy Mogs and was so addicted to them that I could put away an entire bag. In one sitting, no joke. So, I decided to look for a recipe but couldn't find anything that was clearly a Lassy Mog. However, I did find a comparable recipe and, with a couple of modifications and translation (it was in french), here's what I now call Lassy Mogs.

1 cup butter/marg
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup molasses
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt, nutmeg
1 cup raisins
1 cup dates, cut up
2/3 cup coconut

Cream butter, sugar and eggs. Stir in molasses and vanilla. Mix dry in separate bowl and add to wet. Stir in fruit and coconut. Mixture will be very stiff. Loosely shape into balls on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 10-11 minutes at 375˚ F.

2009-01-21T20:02:00.004-07:00

Dinner tonight

Everytime I measure out these spices, I get the urge to repaint our plain "mushroom cap" walls. This is one of the easiest meals I make, and very very delicious.

Moroccan Shrimp with Couscous
2/3 cup plain yogurt (drained, on paper towels for five minutes to thicken)
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin, curry powder
1/8 tsp chili powder, cinnamon
1/2 cup dried golden raisins
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup whole wheat couscous
1 tbsp butter
1/5 pounds peeled and deveined shrimps

1. Mix spices and combine 1/5 tsp of mixture with raisins, water and broth in a saucepan. Boil and stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, in a large non-stick saute pan, melt butter over m/h heat. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining spice mixture and saute 5 minutes or until done.
3. To plate: 1/2 cup couscous in the middle, topped with 1/2 cup shrimp and 1 tbsp yogurt.

Or, if you are Ben and I, divide evenly and eat entire meal.

2009-01-21T20:02:00.003-07:00

Homemade Granola Bars
This was in the paper yesterday so I thought I'd try them out. They are pretty good, a bit dry but that's probably due to the altitude here. Plus I made them without the chocolate chips and I think they would make a good addition.

Heat oven to 400F, line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper
1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup wheat bran
1 tsp cinnamon, allspice
1/2 tsp ginger, salt (opt)
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup dried apricots, chopped finely
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup coconut or chocolate chips
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup apple juice
1/3 cup honey
3 eggs
2 tsp canola oil
1. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl.
2. Mix wet ingrediants in another bowl.
3. Combine and spread out evenly in lined pan.
4. Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. Cool and cut into 16 bars.

2009-01-21T20:02:00.001-07:00

Making Rice-Nut Burgers

A good pal over at womantalk.org posted a recipe that I've wanted to try for a while now. And the impetus came when Ben and I finished some PC bison burgers and decided that they were on the scary side of the food chain because they were foamy tasting. You know, like McDonald's chicken nuggets. So, yesterday I jumped in and made the rice-nut burgers and we had some last night for dinner. The verdict from those of us who ate them (Pippa's still not having nuts, now the doc says wait until 18 months to introduce nuts) was a resounding YUM. Clara scarfed down her half and Ben and I ate ours with relish. Not literally, but figuratively. Anyway, I thought I'd document the process in case anyone is wanting to give them a go. It's not that much work and its nice to have 9 or so meals in the freezer.
Here's the original recipe and I'll include the minor notes/changes of mine.

You need a big pot to cook 4 cups of rice and 4 cups of onion with 7.5 cups of water.

Grinding up the nuts and seeds isn't too bad but make sure everything is toasted or roasted before you do, otherwise you'll have nut butter.

Yes, you need that much cheese (~800g) and substituting old cheddar didn't work for me because it was too moist and wouldn't grind/chop up.

I used tamari sauce and this bowl. It is the biggest one I had but was still only good for half the mixture. I ended up putting half of everything in this bowl, mixing it with a spoon and making it into burgers before starting on the second half (I used the pot the rice cooked in for the second half). Next time I might try using my huge stock pot to cook the rice in and then using it to mix everything up too.

Yummy cheese (makes a big difference in your burger)

I wasn't using a measure to make the first couple of batches (I made 3 burgers in one package) but switched to a generous 1/2 cup of mixture after my first ones were HUGE. I also used this nerdy burger maker/shaper that I got from family friends of Jane's way back when we were having a huge garage sale and they wanted to unload stuff. That and the work experience I gained one summer that I spent making burgers at a golf course ensured this part went quickly. Total burgers made: 27 (9 packages of 3).

And then, pan-fried with the merest amount of spray oil. Ben had his on a bun, I didn't. Clara had hers with ketchup. I didn't. They were great.

2009-01-21T20:01:00.001-07:00

Using up leftover broccoli stalks.
This is a very delicious Cream of Broccoli Soup that I make when I have a big bag of broccoli stalks in the freezer. It's modified from an epicurious.com recipe.

In a heavy saucepan, saute 3/4 cup of chopped onion & 1 carrot, sliced thinly with 2 tsp brown mustard seeds and 2 tbsp butter over moderate heat.

When onion is soft, add 3.5 cups chopped broccoli, 4 cups broth and simmer 15-20 minutes, until broccoli is very tender.

Puree in batches until smooth and transfer to a second pot. Reheat (but don't boil) soup and whisk in 1.5 tsp of lemon juice, season and stir in 1/4 cup of heavy cream (or homogenized milk). Serve.

2009-01-21T20:00:00.002-07:00

Making granola bars
I have been making a pan of these every couple of weeks so Ben can take granola bars to work. They are very yummy and full of goodness. The recipe hails from Aunty Amandy.

Morning Sunshine Bars
1.5 cups of whole wheat flour
1.5 cups of AP flour
2 tsp BP, cinnamon
1 tsp BS
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup fruit (mashed banana, applesauce, pumpkin, something liquidy)
2/3 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup oil
2 cups grated carrot
1 cup chopped dried fruit (dates, raisins, apricots)
1/2 cup nuts

1. Mix dry ingredients (up to eggs)
2. Mix remaining "wet" ingredients (up to dried fruit)
3. Add dry to wet in batches and stir well
4. Mix in last two ingredients (will be quite stiff)
5. Bake 375 F for 30 minutes in a 13 x 9 pan that is lined with parchment paper. Cool and cut into long, thin bars. Makes about 32 bars.

2009-01-21T20:00:00.001-07:00

Salsa, salsa
I just made this delicious salsa last week and it's way better than store-bought. The recipe comes from a woman we knew in Houston who was one of the kindest people I knew and her family was amazingly supportive and giving. Thinking of this, I gave away one of the jars to a friend. While very tasty right after you make it, this stuff gets better after a couple of days.
Meg's Fresh Salsa

2 cans tomatoes
2 jalapenos, seeded
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp of fresh cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until desired consistency is reached.

2009-01-21T19:59:00.002-07:00

Date Squares
Yum, yum. These are mighty tasty. I recently made a double batch and played Date Fairy and delivered some to friends/neighbours, much to Ben's dismay. He thinks these are his absolute favourite dessert and would prefer that I didn't give any away.
Della's Date Squares

2 cups dates, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp BS, salt
1 1/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
2/4 cup marg

1. In a medium pan, mix and heat first 4 ingredients. Cook for 15 minutes over m/l heat and let cool.
2. Mix remaining ingredients and press half of mixture firmly into a square 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper.
3. Spread cooled date mixture evenly over base.
4. Lightly press remaining crumb mixture evenly on top of dates.
5. Bake 20 minutes @ 375F.
Makes 20 squares.

2009-01-21T19:59:00.001-07:00

Hungarian Hazelnut Cake
Okay, this is the most delicious cake I have tasted, better than the Tres Leches that I made, better than carrot cake, it is divine. And it's gluten-free. So, thanks to Karen and Em for introducing it to the family, it's going to be a regular at our table. Especially with whipped cream on top. Yum. Yum.

Serves 12
Preheat oven to 325 F
Grease and flour 9 inch springform

12 oz ground to fine hazelnuts
2 tsp baking powder
6 egg yolks, whipped
5/8 cup sugar
6 egg whites
1 pint heavy whipping cream to ice

Mix nuts and BP. In a separate bowl, mix egg yolks and sugar. Beat 1 and 2 together. In a clean bowl, whip egg whites until stiff and quickly fold 1/3 of whites into yolk mixture, then add remaining whites and fold in until no streaks remain. Pour into baking pan and bake 60-75 minutes. Cool, slice into 3 layers and cover with whipped cream.

2009-01-21T19:58:00.001-07:00

Carrot-tofu scrambler or The-Meal-That-Ben-Loves-to-Hate

2 tbsp oil
10 carrots, grated
1 pack extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1 tsp sesame oil

1. In a large fry pan, heat the oil and cook the carrots about 15 minutes on med-low.
2. Add tofu, cook about 5 minutes
3. Add soy sauce and seeds, cook 1 minute
4. Drizzle with sesame oil, stir and serve over rice.

This recipe came from a fellow librarian, Karen, in Kingston, Ontario. She didn't eat meat, was a single mother of two, worked full-time, biked her kids to preschool and fed Ben and I every Sunday night that we lived there, so we could do our laundry at the place and play with her kids. She was (and still is) amazing. I consider this food comfort food. The women I worked with in Houston considered it freak food. Ben considers it sigh food. As in, (sigh) "is that what's for dinner?"

2009-01-21T19:57:00.002-07:00

Stirring the Friendship Cake
Clara helps me stir this beast every year at this time. Then, close to Christmas, we'll make two delicious fruitcakes. I'll post the recipe too, but you need the starter to, well, start it. I have leftover starter and will end up with more starter, so if you live nearby and want some, let me know. It will be too late for Christmas this year, but not too late for New Years.

Friendship Cake
This is a delicious, moist golden cake with nuts, fruit, and coconut. It makes a delightful gift at anytime of the year, but is especially nice during the holiday season. This starter will keep in your freezer indefinitely, but only in your fridge for a couple of weeks. Don’t forget to start the process around the 21st of November, to have your cakes made in time for Christmas.

Day 1
Pour 2 cups of starter into a glass gallon jar or large bowl (don’t use plastic). Add one 16 oz. can of sliced peaches. Stir in 2 cups of white sugar and cover with a plate or tray. Leave at room temperature and stir every day for 10 days. Don’t cover air tight or refrigerate.

Day 10
Add one 16 oz can of chunk pineapple (cut into little pieces) and juice. Stir in 2.5 cups of white sugar. Leave at room temperature and stir every day for 10 days. The colour of the liquid will change and foam when you stir it.

Day 20
Add two small jars of marachino cherries, cut in half (6 oz jars). Don’t add the juice. Add 2.5 cups of white sugar. Leave at room temperature and stir every day for 10 days. The cherries will return the liquid to its pink colour.

Day 31
You are now ready to bake your cakes. There is enough fruit for two cakes and enough liquid for 3-4 ‘starters’ to give away or keep. It is better to make each cake individually, rather than one batch. Use all the fruit for both cakes.

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Grease and flour a bundt or tube pan.
2. Drain fruit into a bowl. Pour the liquid into glass containers for future starters.
3. To make one cake you will need:
Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Golden Cake Mix
Instant vanilla pudding mix (small)
4 eggs
2/3 cup oil
1.5 cup of drained fruit
1 cup each walnuts, pecans, raisins
1 cup coconut
4. In a large bowl, mix the above ingredients well. DO NOT USE AN ELECTRIC MIXER. Bake for 55-75 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
5. Cool completely, and turn out onto a cake tray or dish. Sift icing sugar over cake and put a votive candle in the middle.

2009-01-21T19:57:00.001-07:00

Baking chez moi
Here is the craziness that my kitchen turns into when I decide to do some mass baking.
This weekend I made Chunky Monkey Muffins, Nana Elsie's apple crumble and sour cream chocolate cake. And this is all before I accept delivery of a white (no choice in colour) KitchenAid Professional Bowl Lift Stand Mixer that was on sale through Airmiles (2400 points instead of 3200, still leaving us enough to fly to Ontario in August). About 18 months ago, a similar mixer went 'on sale' through Airmiles and we didn't get it, figuring it would be there for a while and then it was, poof, just gone from the Rewards list. So this time, when I saw it 'on sale', Ben and I briefly hesitated and then I ordered it. Seeing as all the taxes and shipping are paid too, it's a pretty good deal.
My mum asked for this recipe, which is funny because she has the original book but can't find it. It's a really really yummy moist cake and I would highly recommend you make some now.

Mme. Jehane Benoit's Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
6 tbsp butter = 90 mls (just under 1/2 cup)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cup flour
1.5 tsp BP
1 tsp BS
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sour cream (you can sub. plain yogo)
1 pack chocolate chips
1 tbsp sugar

1. In an electric mixer, combine butter, sugar and eggs and beat for 10 minutes (um, as if I have 10 minutes to stand there holding the electric mixer. Maybe when I get my new Professional White Kitchenaid stand mixer that we ordered through airmiles on Saturday, yes)
2. Mix dry and add to wet. Fold in sour cream.
3. Pour in a 9x13" greased and floured (or lined with parchment paper) baking pan.
4. Scatter chips evenly across top and sprinkle with sugar.
5. Bake 35 minutes at 350 or until cake pulls away from sides and smells done.

And the next shot is of the Valley of Chocolate Chips...

2009-01-21T19:55:00.002-07:00

Butterfly Buns
My nana would be most proud to see that I sent these to Clara's class today for her birthday treat. A simple chocolate cake recipe baked into bun shape and then cooled. You cut out the middle and fill with a dollop of jam and either sweetened butter cream of whipping cream and decorate with wings (the centre cut into two).

2009-01-21T19:55:00.001-07:00

Christmas Stollens
Aunty Karen, wonderful person that she is, traditionally makes masses of these to give to the folks in her life like teachers and bus drivers. I had high hopes of starting this tradition last year as I love to give baked delights for holiday presents but for reasons I cannot recall, it didn't happen. But I have managed to try out the recipe for Stollen finally, and while I've not yet tasted it, can you agree that the pictures make it look divine. I think I should test it before giving it away, don't you?

2009-01-21T19:54:00.001-07:00

The easiest bread in the world
This recipe comes via Bettina, our Danish neighbour across the way. She makes this frequently and switches it into bread rolls, round loaves, rectangular ones. Anything goes. The first time I tried it was disastrous and ended with me pitching the entire yucky mess. This time, I realized that there wasn't enough yeast so I modified that and it's looking good. There's no kneading required and no double risings. The best time to make it is just before you go to bed and then get up a bit earlier than usual and bake it for breakfast.

Danish Oat Bread
2 cups lukewarm water
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
Mix these together and let sit until it foams, or about 5 minutes

2 tbsp canola oil
1/3 cup oats
1/2 cup seeds/nuts/berries (your choice)
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour (you can combine flour types to your taste)
1 1/2 tbsp wheat gluten (I added this to combat our dry climate)

Stir oil, oats, seeds and salt into the yeast mixture. Slowly stir in the flour, mixing with a spoon, not a hand mixer. Dough will be sticky. Do not knead. Pour into well-greased & floured (or lined with parchment paper) baking pans, cover and let rest in fridge 8-12 hours or overnight. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes then turn down the oven and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

This is the dough after 8 hours in the fridge. It has doubled in size.

Update: well, again, this wasn't the most successful bread but I haven't given up. This time the bread stuck to the pan, burnt around the edges and is a modicum underdone. I've modified the recipe to include a well-greased or preferably, parchment-lined pan and reduced the heat and duration. I don't know if this new temp (350) and duration (25) minutes is better than the old (450) temperature and (45) minutes so I'll try again and let you know.

2009-01-21T19:52:00.001-07:00

Fun for tomorrow
Because it's not getting any warmer, I think we'll try our hands at making pretzels tomorrow. This recipe came from a blogger that I read on occasion because she has 6 kids under 12. And that's all I need to say.

Pretzel Recipe (makes 12 largish pretzels)

2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
7/8 cup water
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Mix it all together like you would bread.

Don’t know how to do it? Don’t have a bread maker with a dough setting?

This is a great tactile experience for younger children. And it is extremely easy to do. I know what you are thinking, I used to be afraid of baking bread too.

Get a mixing bowl.
Measure water in first, room temperature. Too hot or cold and it will not rise.
Then pour the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl in a little mound.
Dig a little hole in the top of the mound, like a volcano.
Put the yeast in the little mound.

Then stir it all up.

When it is doughy, dump it out onto a floured table and knead it.

This is the part when all the kids can help.

After they are done kneading, put it in a bowl and cover the bowl with a damp cloth so the dough doesn’t dry out while rising.

Once it has doubled in size, it is ready to shape into pretzels.

Break the dough into 12 pieces.

Your children can make the traditional pretzel shape. Form the dough into letters or shapes. Or even just leave them as pretzel sticks, but that would be boring. Let them play with the dough as long as they want to. The dough might end up tough, but you know what? They will not care.

Once you are done shaping them beat an egg and brush it over the pretzel.

Sprinkle them with Kosher salt.

Or a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.

Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes. The time will depend on the thickness you have rolled the pretzels to. So keep an eye on them. Once they are golden, they are ready to come out of the oven and enjoy.

2009-01-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

Spinach Lasagna x 8

As I've said before, my behavior falls well within nerd parameters and what I'm about to type only goes to support that statement. Having not much else to do this holiday season, I decided to print up a full year calendar by months and do my meal planning. For the whole year. I've tried the 6 and 8 week plans, tried doing it week by week and eventually, they all break down. Now, I'm not saying that this will be any different but I'm giving it a try. So, I spent the better part of 3 evenings slotting in our favourite meals and some new ones to fill up 12 months of dinners. And then I started on grocery lists because wouldn't that be sweet? Having your meals planned and a grocery list ready to go? On that task, I've made it through January and will try to work through the remaining months in the near future. While putting together the first week of groceries, I realized that my favourite spinach lasagna was scheduled for Saturday night. Thinking ahead, I realized that I had scheduled the same lasagna 5 more times in the next year so why not mass produce all my lasagnas at once? I actually like to do this because I find lasagna is a tedious creation but one that easily converts to quick assembly line production. And this afternoon, I whipped up 8 such lovelies, and gifted one to next door as Dr. Leanna has a hellish 12 days ahead of her, starting on Monday. I figured she could used a spare meal in the freezer.
The recipe is Do-Re-Mi La-sagna from Crazy Plates but I've modified it so that it's uniquely my own. To make 8, you need a lot of space and big bowls and a stock pot to cook that many noodles, although I did find this time (I've done this once before) that the noodles near the bottom really took a beating. If you care about the shape of the noodles, you can cook them in a couple of batches. Personally, I don't care that much, no one really sees them once it's cooked. The total cost to make 8 mostly organic spinach lasagnas (each serves a healthy 4) was $119.56. Each one cost $14.95.
And here's what you need to do:

72 whole wheat lasagna noodles or 4 boxes (cost $10.68)

3 tubs of ricotta cheese (500 g each - cost $14.04)
1/3 small carton of egg whites (cost $2.26)
1 big and 1 medium tub cottage cheese (cost $8.28)
1.5 bags frozen spinach (cost $5.38)
3 tsp oregano (costs $.50)

8 jars of pasta sauce (cost $35.12)

1 kg feta cheese (cost $13.99)

12 cups of grated mozzarella cheese (cost $19.23)

Reusable pans (cost $10.58)

The production line can get messy but goes like this:
Spray with olive oil
1 cup Sauce
4 noodles (3 lengthwise, 1 diagonal to hold it together)
1/3 cup feta
1/3 cup mozza (I confess to using a bit more of this)
4 noodles
1 cup sauce
2 cups spinach mix, spread out to edges of pan
1/3 cup feta
1/3 cup mozza
4 noodles
1 cup sauce
sprinkling of mozza

Done! And to cook, cover loosely and bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Remove foil for last 5 minutes. Let stand about 10 minutes after removing from oven to set. Serve with tasty bread and a green salad.

2009-01-21T19:50:00.001-07:00

Susan Masino's Cornbread Pudding
When we lived in Houston, we hooked up with a couple who had kids our age. We loved hanging out with Susan and Albert (or Suebert), spending entire weekends in their suburban backyard, swimming, reading the New York Times, eating and drinking. Ben and I both have such fond memories of these guys and we even went to visit them in Tulsa when he was relocated. I think their kids thought we were really weird, to want to hang out with their parents, but they were really fun people!
Susan contributed at least 2 recipes to my collection of things I regularly make and this is one of them. It is probably on the side of the Jiffy Corn Muffin box but in case it isn't, this is one of those recipes that you make and think, "Oooo, yum, it's dessert as a side dish!" We used to have it only at Thanksgiving and Christmas but I've decided it's too good to only have twice a year.

Cornbread Pudding
1/3-1/2 stick of butter (I think you can make this a bit more healthy by using less butter)
3 egg whites
1 can of corn niblets (I tend to buy a small can)
1 can of creamed corn (I buy whatever size I can find)
1 cup of sour cream
1 box of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix (this isn't available in Canada so I use half a box of PC Organics cornbread muffin mix)

1. Melt butter in a large casserole dish. Add eggs to butter and beat.
2. Pour in corn and juice, creamed corn, sour cream and dry mix.
3. Mix well and bake 40-50 minutes or until it feels sturdy at 350.

Notes: I have made the dry cornmuffin mix myself and omitted the sugar to have a less desserty-style dish. You can use light sour cream or yoghurt also.