Side Bar Cook Book

Have you noticed the two little linked photo buttons in the side bar ? -------------->

I'm adding them there one at a time ....
as I add the recipes to the cookbook I'm compiling !!!

I'm super duper excited about it !!

Egg Salad Sandwich

So simple.

Hard Boil some eggs.
Chop em up.
Add some mayo.
A couple of
blubs.
Add a large-ish squirt
of American
mustard.
Stir.
Put on your fave
fresh bread.
In my
case
the bread
will be Helga's
and it will
have
lots of seeds.

Eat.

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

When Pam and Mom posted this recipe the other day, I just HAD to try it.
I was going to wait til next week
but I had to go into the store for something else and just couldn't resist !
I did however, only spend $4 on this plate of deliciousness.

In reading the recipe I see that I forgot to cut the prosciutto into two inch strips.
Oops.
I also didn't spray any olive oil onto the baking sheet.
I did line it with baking paper.

In a nutshell.
You make this by wrapping prosciutto around asparagus.
Bake in 200C/400F oven for 20 minutes.

DONE.

Try to let them cool for more than 3 seconds or you will burn your mouth like I did.
But ... I did it again and again until my 3.5 of these little beauties was gone !

Menu Plan Monday - Bonnie - 9 November 2009

Menu Plan Monday is hosted by Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

I haven't got a lot of time so I'm not going to add photos today ...

Friday
BLT's

Saturday
Roast Lamb in Crock Pot
I cooked it according to the recipe linked
above but we only used the lamb.
Didn't add the other
stuff this time.
Roast Veggies in Oven
Greek Salad

Sunday
Jono's birthday dinner.
Home made pizza
meat lovers
and
hawaiian

Monday
Pumpkin Lentil Salad

Tuesday
Crock Pot Baked Potato Bar
*new recipe*

Wednesday
Greek Souvlaki Wraps
*new recipe*

Thursday
Leftovers or somethin'

Yummy Baked Berry Treat

This was too easy.
A quick throw together dessert ...

What you need:
1.75 cups flour
.50 cup brown sugar
100g almond meal
200g butter
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1.5 cups frozen fruits (I used mixed berries)

What you do:

Mix flour, sugar, almond meal, cinnamon and butter in food processor. Smush most of the mixture (save enough for the top ... less than 1/2 ... maybe 1/4 of it) into a lined, square cake tin to form the bottom crust - make sure you smush it firmly. Bake for 10 minutes in 180C/350F oven. Add fruit and top with remainder of mixture. Cook til browned ... 20 - 20 minutes.

Aunt Jo's Stuffed Peppers ~ my way.

My rendition of Aunt Jo's stuffed peppers.
We are not overly fond of cous cous round here so I substituted quinoa.
I also mashed the chickpeas (garbanzo beans) as I don't like them whole.
It's a foible.
One of my many.

The verdict.
A bit dry.

But ... we ate it as leftovers with this chicken and topped with the sauce
and liked it much better. Next time ... we have a sauce with it !!

Mari's Crock Pot Soy & Garlic Chicken

I got this recipe from Mari ...

4 chicken breasts, skin removed
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce (I used tomato puree)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Place chicken in crock pot.
In small bowl, combine tomato sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic.
Pour over chicken.
Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

I served with rice.
So yum.

Rice Balls

Sent these in the lunches the other day.
Want to know how to make 'em ?
I've posted the 'how to'
before ... here.

Fritters

My friend Toni gave me the idea for fritters.
We had these the other night when we were scrounging around,
trying to figure out what to eat because we weren't shopping
that week ! These were a great idea and so easy.

All you need is ...

1 cup self raising flour
1 cup milk
1 egg
Mix it into a batter.

... and then whatever you want to put inside. So ... I sauteed some onion, garlic, asparagus, green chili, and mustard seeds. I added some tumeric, chili powder and a bit of salt.

Mix that little sauteed mixture into the batter and then cook like pancakes.

Rory topped his with salsa.

Jono's Egg Curry Sandwich

I love our adventurous and creative almost 8 year old boy.
Look at this sandwich he invented.

His Recipe:
Put egg curry leftovers between two pieces of bread.
Toast in the sandwich press.

Egg Curry and Chutney

My Mom sent me her recipes for these when I was first married. I have cooked both of them many times since. They are both passed down long time family favorites !

For the Egg Curry:
1 cup white sauce per person
1 hard boiled egg per person and one for the pot
curry powder to taste (start with 1 teaspoon per cup of white sauce)
garlic powder to taste
a little salt
generous black pepper
generous pinch of cumin per cup of white sauce (adds heat and punch but is optional)

Make white sauce.
Add sliced eggs.
Serve over rice.
May add green peas to rice, if you like peas ...

How to Make White Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter (or oil as I discovered out of necessity last time I made this !)
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk

Melt butter (stir in spices if using for curry)
Stir in flour. Stir til all lumps are gone and there is only a smooth past.
Slowly add milk and stir constantly until sauce thickens and then boils. (use med-high heat)

For the Chutney :
1 pound of canned tomatoes and the juice (mush them up with your fingers so there are various sizes)
1 cup of sugar
1/2 clove of garlic, peeled and sliced
1/4 tsp powdered ginger or 10 thin slices fresh ginger
1 tsp whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
generous 3/4 cup vinegar
as many raisins as you like (this recipe would call for 1/5 of a pound)

Throw everything into a pan except the raisins and cook for about 1.5 hours, or til it's dark brown and looks like chutney (not too runny) Turn of the fire and thrown in the raisins. Let cool in the pan so the raisins plump up.

You can freeze this chutney.
You can also keep it in your fridge from now til kingdom come.
But ... it won't last that long ... it's too yummy !

Pumpkin Scone

I admit it. I went to Starbucks yesterday and had this...and ate the whole thing...well, all of it but 2 bites..two very small bites...okay, two crumbs...
But anyway I came home and remembered I had pureed the last of my pumpkins and needed to use it. I hadn't froze it because there wasn't enough to mess with.

So I googled "Starbucks Pumpkin Scone" and there were about 236,000 results. I chose a recipe from RecipeZaar again since I have had luck with those before...Here is the recipe

Scone

2 cups flour
7 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t ground cloves (I use less as the cloves can be a bit overpowering)
1/4 t ground ginger
6 T cold butter
1/2 c pumpkin puree
3 T half and half (I used 1% because that is what I have)
1 large egg

Spiced Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2 T milk
1/4 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
1 pinch ginger
1 pinch cloves
(I just used my "Pumpkin Pie Spice" and just shook a bit into the bowl as I was mixing it)



Preheat oven 425F
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices in a large bowl.
Using a pastry knife cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter are obvious. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, milk and egg.
Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
Form the dough into a ball (good luck with that as it is very sticky and wet)
Pat dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle (about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide).
Use a large knife or pizza cutter to slice the dough twice through the width making 3 equal portions.
Cut those 3 portions diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough.
Now, my scones turned out HUGE so if you can manage I would even cut those 6 triangles into 2 so that you have a total of 12 scones.
Place on cookie sheet (lined with parchment or lightly oiled)
Bake 14-16 minutes.
Scones should turn a light brown.
Place on wire wrack to cool.

To make the glaze

Mix powdered sugar, spices and milk until smooth.

Once scones are cooled drizzle with glaze.

Menu Plan Monday - Bonnie - 2 November 2009

Menu Plan Monday is hosted by Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Remember last week, I said I wasn't going to shop AT ALL ? Well ... I did it !
Ok ... I HAD to buy toilet paper.
But come on ... it's not like we have a choice in that one.
I spent $3.
That's pretty good.

Have a look at how our fridge looked on Friday morning while I was waiting for the groceries to be delivered ! Crazy eh ? Nothin' but condiments. We ate everything. Seriously ... everything !

This week we only had $111 to spend on the groceries.
Still catching up from how behind we were.
I can't wait to get through this week !

I have planned the whole week though ... and shopped.
AND stayed under the $111 !!
I'm pretty impressed.
If I do say so
myself !!

Lots of refined carbs though ... that's what happens when you need to eat cheap.

Friday
Black Bean Chili Soup

Saturday
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas
This is a new recipe ... from the wholefoodsmarket website.
From their budget recipe challenge ...

Sunday
Cold Soba Noodles
Spring Rolls that we have had
in the freezer for ages.

Monday
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
(apparently I've been spelling that wrong ... so wrong !)
peas and corn

Tuesday
Rice Balls
(I will post that recipe later in the week !)

Wednesday
Homemade Mac and Cheese
Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli



Thursday
Rory's Carbonara

Like I said ... lots of refined carbs.
But ... it's just to get us through this one week !
Next week we will have a full grocery budget !
Can't wait !!

Rosemary and Sea Salt ...

I wanted to make Andrea's Rosemary and Sea Salt Bread last week but was out of butter.
Since we weren't shopping I had no choice but to not make it.
Grrrrrrr ... (that's me growling in disgust !)

Instead, I stuck to what we had planned and made foccacia.
But, I added Rosemary and Sea Salt to the top and it was AMAZING !!



~ Rosemary Flower ~

Growing Coriander

So ... I had a great crop of Fresh Coriander (Cilantro) this year.
And I'm about to have it again !
And my plan is to keep planting it so that I have a continuous crop !

Once it went to flower, I just let it go wild !
It grew and grew.
Amazing !



When the seeds turned brown,
I pulled the plants out of the ground,
put a big garbage bag over the top
of the plant and hung it
on my patio.



Once they had dried out
~ maybe a week or two later ~
I took them down and gathered
all the seeds.



I have plenty to plant
repeated plantings from here until
forever, I think !



When I was finished, there were heaps
all over the ground too.
I swept them into
a dustpan and
threw them
into
an open
spot in our
garden bed. I noticed today
that they have sprouted and so we are well on our
way to having more yummy fresh coriander at our fingertips !



Easy to grow.
Just don't disturb the roots.
That's what I've learned ... the hard way !

Grilled Steak Continued ...

Step 13:

Wave a magic wand over the plates...and look what appears!

One Blizzard BBQ ready to enjoy!

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Clip ends off of asparagus spears. Cut prosciutto into two inch wide strips (usually that's in half length wise). Barber pole wrap one strip of prosciutto around each spear of asparagus. Place wrapped asparagus in single layer on baking sheet. (We sprayed Olive Oil Pam spray on the sheet. Not sure if we needed to or not) Bake in 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes (depending on how thick your asparagus is and how tender you prefer your veggies). Enjoy!

Grilled Steak

Best Grill Steak Recipe a la Uncle Jim

Step 1:
Look for sale on Rib-eye steak at Safeway

Step 2:
Buy steak and freeze

Step 3:
Wait for blizzard




Step 4:
Have wife and niece shovel path to bbq



Step 5:
Put on bbqing clothes
(ie: shorts, t-shirt, and sandals)



Step 6:
Thaw froze Rib-eye

Step 7:
Remove snow from bbq utensils

Step 8:
Carefully remove plastic from steak packages

Step 9:
Place steak on hot grill

Step 10:
Flip steaks

Step 11:
Remove steaks from grill

Step 12:
Serve and Enjoy!

Rosemary and Sea Salt Bread

I love Trader Joe's Rosemary and Sea Salt Bread. But since moving to Richland, Wa. (where there is no Trader Joe's I haven't had much. I found this recipe though and thought it turned out pretty close to what they sell at the store...pretty tasty!

I got the recipe from here on RecipeZaar

• 1 T yeast
• 1 T sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 1 t salt
• 2 T Rosemary (fresh if you have it)
  
• 2 T butter

1. Mis yeast, sugar and water in large bowl, allow to bubble. About 5 minutes
2. Mix in 1 T butter, salt and 2 cups flour
3. Add 1 T Rosemary
4. Knead until smooth
5. Add more flour if need be
   
6. Oil a bowl and allow to raise for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size
7. Punch and divide in 2
8. Rest 5 minutes (you and the bread)
9. Spray baking pan (stone or cookie sheet)
10. Shape into two oval loaves
11. Sprinkle with remaining rosemary and press it in
12. Sprinkle with Sea Salt
13. Rise 45 minutes
14. Pre heat oven 375F
15. Bake 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. (I took mine out a little earlier than I would have liked since my son was demanding my attention and I didn't want to walk away and forget about it. It was done but next time I will let it get a bit darker.)
    
16. Brush with butter
17. ENJOY!
    

Menu Plan Monday - Bonnie - 26 October 2009

Menu Plan Monday is hosted by Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

So, last week, we spent way over our grocery budget. Various factors contributed to it ... including my constant frustration that our weekly budget is too low. But ...the way we have structured our finances doesn't leave room to make it bigger, and that is totally our choice (meaning we could change it but we've chosen not to) so I'm DETERMINED to find a way to make this budget work. $220 a week. Feeding a family of four, three meals EVERY DAY. We eat out very infrequently. Working it out per meal, you're looking at $10 a meal EXCEPT that we buy toiletries, laundry/dishwashing/cleaning supplies and cat food out of that $220 as well. I don't know exactly what the breakdown is to be able to determine how much that makes it per meal that we are working with ... But, that one of my new goals.

In my menu planning, I am going to use the online shopping site to determine how much each meal will cost to make. I'm going to do it as if I had to buy every item and then list that price with my recipes. So ... for future menu's I'll be able to choose according to price as well ... and if I already have some of the ingredients then the price will come down and that is a BONUS ! I think that with proper planning, I can still cook the way we are accustomed to me cooking, but within the confines of our budget that we want to stick to.

I need to shop more in season too. I'm not real good at knowing what is 'in season' since we can get most things year round here. But ... obviously, there are seasons when they are 'in season' and they are cheaper. I'm going to buy meat at the butcher. I'm going to try and get back to doing one bulk meal a week (or maybe a fortnight) to freeze for later weeks. I am going to try and bake something each week to go in the lunches. And I'm going to experiment with making grain bread in my bread maker. Did I mention I am determined ?!?!

We've also got grand plans to expand our little garden beds so we can grow as much as we are able. Australia has great weather for growing veggies year round and we are trying to get our garden established so we can take advantage of that.

Our plan for this week, through Thursday ... I will shop on Friday ... is to get through without going to the grocery store. I had to buy milk and a bag of oats this morning. Cost me $3. But ... we were totally out of cereal and Rory needs milk for his coffee so those had to be bought. As for the meals, we're getting creative ... using up what we have in the pantry and fridge/freezer, which isn't much.

Here's what I've thought we can have ...

Sunday

Spaghetti Aliolio
we were supposed to have this last week but plans changed so we still have the ingredients !

Black Olive Salad

Monday

Egg Curry
Doesn't look like I've posted this recipe yet.
I will take photos this time and get it posted for you.
It's a great, cheap, fall back meal !
And ... I have chutney in the fridge already !!
I can see I need to post that recipe too.

Tuesday

Pumpkin Soup (frozen from last time we had it)
Homemade Foccacia Bread
Frozen peas and corn

Wednesday

Cold Soba Noodles
but without the spring onions because we don't have any ...



Thursday

Well, this will be a bit more of a challenge.
We have cans of black beans, lentils, chickpeas.
One jar of pasta sauce.
We have israeli cous cous.
Rice.
Quinoa.
Fresh Carrots.
Frozen Peas and Corn.
The eggs will most likely be gone.

I think I will probably make some sort of rice or pasta salad using lots of
herbs from our veggie garden and the carrots,peas and corn.
Maybe some beans if it is a rice salad ?
Any suggestions ??

AND THAT SHOULD GET US THROUGH TO FRIDAY
and get our budget back on track !!
I am hoping anyway !!

Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup

Yay! Another fabulous BEAN recipe! I found the original recipe in the Reader's Digest, modified it extensively, and oh yum! It was just exactly what I wanted on a chilly rainy day. This is my version.

4 medium tomatoes, quartered (I used roma, 'cause they were on sale!)
3/4 of an onion, cut into large pieces (about 1")
1 small head of garlic (the original called for twice the beans and only 3 cloves of garlic! Ha!)
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
1 can chicken or vegetable broth
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tsp cumin (I used curry powder, since I didn't have any cumin)
1 tsp chili powder
Splash of lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Cut the top off the head of garlic, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt (preferable sea salt), wrap in foil and stick in the oven. In a bowl, toss tomatoes and onion with some more olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast until edges of onions have browned and the tomatoes have collapsed, 35 - 40 min. Stir once after 20 min.

2. Transfer roasted veggies to a large saucepan. Squeeze out the garlic cloves into the pan and add broth, beans, and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 min.

3. Remove from heat and blend to desired smoothness (I left mine just a touch chunky and really enjoyed the texture) using an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender.

4. Garnish with some Tabasco sauce (or, if you have none, substitute packets of Taco Bell hot sauce...seriously, it ain't easy cooking so deliciously in such an obviously deficient kitchen!), sour cream, and/or cilantro. It's also all kinds of spectacular with tortilla chips.

Meat Pie and Taters

So ... this was linked up in one of my old menu plans but it was on an old blog
of mine that is private and no longer used. Andrea stumbled upon it and wanted the
recipe so I'm cutting and pasting it to here !!

~~

This is another leftovers/use up what I have recipe.


A while back I made a pot roast in the crock pot.

It was ok but not something we wanted to eat for leftovers so I froze it.

It's a super easy recipe.

You just chop up some carrots, potatoes and onions.

Add them to the crockpot along with a big hunk of beef.

Mix a can of cream of mushroom soup with a package of french onion soup mix.

Pour the soup on top of the meat/veggies. High for 8 hours.


So, tonight, I used the thawed leftovers.

Added some mushrooms and instant gravy.

Poured that into pie tins lined with puff pastry.

Topped with pasty.

Baked in oven ~400F, 200C ~ for about 40 minutes.

It was delicious !

OR

you could try this beef and guinness pie recipe that is delicious as well !


I served it with these potatoes that I found through super cook !!

I changed them a bit so I'll tell you how I did them.

I boiled the potatoes for about 15/20 minutes.

Skin on. But that's my personal laziness preference.

Drain. Cool. Chop.

Add a finely diced onion, big handful of chopped fresh parsley, 1 tbls (?) chopped fresh rosemary, salt and pepper to the a frying pan with hot olive oil in it. Add the potatoes first. Fry til they are your desired crispiness.

Ajiaco Soup (Columbian Recipe)

This is one of my all time favorite Fall soups. I got it from a friend who got it from a Wycliffe Dinner Theatre.




1. Cook 1 full boneless chicken breast in 2 cups of water, with 2 chicken bouillon cubes, until done. (A lot of times I will just boil a whole chicken and use that meat and broth)

2. Chop cooked chicken and return to pot.

3. Saute 3-4 teaspoons of minced garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil until tender.

4. Add 2 tablespoons onion flakes (I usually saute onion with my garlic)

5. Add garlic and onion to chicken & broth.

6. Add 4 cups of water and 4-6 chicken bouillon cubes.

7. Start cooking broth and chicken mixture on medium heat.

8. Add 3 small/medium white or yellow potatoes, unpeeled and diced.

9. Add 1 and 1/3 cup of instant mashed potatoes-whisk until dissolved.

10. Add 1 can of each: Garbanzo beans, Kidney beans and Green beans.

11. Add 1 bunch chopped green onions.

12. Add spices: 1 and 1/2 teaspoon basil, 3/4 teaspoon white pepper and 3/4 teaspoon paprika.

13. Simmer (at least ten minutes...or until potatoes are tender.

I usually let mine cook slowly for a couple hours. Sometimes just throwing it in the crock pot on low)

14. Serve in bowls and garnish with (this is the BEST part!!!) :

-Chopped cilantro

-Corn on the cob: cobs cut into 3 pieces, cooked, one per bowl

-Capers: add on top - 1-2 teaspoons per serving

-Avocado: slice and add on top

-Heavy cream: add on top

Arepas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arepa) or gyro bread is very tasty on the side


Serves 6
Soup can be easily frozen!

Menu Plan Monday - Bonnie - 19 October 2009

Menu Plan Monday is hosted by Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Saturday
Hamburgers

Sunday
Lunch ... Funky Lime Pizza

Dinner ... Fish Taco's

Monday
We're going to try Aunt Jo's stuffed peppers.
I'm not keen on cous cous though so I'm going to use quinoa instead.
I'll let you know how they turn out ...

I'm going to serve them with our favorite
Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli

Tuesday
Crock Pot Meatballs.
Alia has been requesting these for weeks now !

Wednesday
Mari's Crock Pot Soy and Garlic Chicken
This is a new recipe for us.

Thursday
Spaghetti Aliolio

Black Olive Salad

What's cookin' at your place this week ?
Do you menu plan ?
Why ?
Why not ?
You got any great recipes you think I should try ?
I'm always looking for good ones ...

The Fish Taco Verdict

A week ago, I'd never had a fish taco.
I've now made them TWICE !

I've gotta tell ya, I'm glad my parents made me eat whatever they put in front of my face and that I grew into a person who will try just about anything. I draw the line at brains and things still alive. BUT ... had I not grown up all over the world, eating new foods and discovering many culinary delights, I may not have tried this. I mean, seriously, fish AND taco ?? Together ?? Nah. BUT ... I did try it and I love it !!! My cousin Jill invented this recipe and I'm so glad she did ! My whole family is. The kids love this ... although, Alia prefers her in a bowl with the tortilla on the side, and we make the kid's batter a bit less spicy than ours ...

Here's take one ... last Sunday night.
I made the batter and I did not do a good job of it.
It was watery.
As well, I forgot to dip the fish in the flour before the batter.
Sometimes I get so excited, I forget to read the recipe thoroughly !
It was still delicious ...

But tonight ...

Uh, yeah, Sunday night again ...maybe a tradition is starting (??)
we made them again only this time Rory did the batter.

And he did a better batter.

He didn't forget the flour.

And it was even more delicious !!

If you haven't tried these, you should ... I'm serious.

Don't let the fish and the taco scare you off.

PS ... the recipe looks complicated, but it isn't ... as long as you don't get too excited !!

This is for you Bonnie!!

Its a Friday night and I really want homemade food. So here is the recipe.

1 lb Stew beef

1/2 C White onion

1/2 C Red Wine (Shiraz is what I used)

1 can Low Sodium Beef Broth

1 t Olive oil

2 t Balsamic Vinegar

The Spices

Salt

Pepper

Onion Powder

Ms Dash Original Blend

Cayenne Pepper

Parsley

Lemon Pepper

Take the meat and the list of spices. Massage them into the meat making sure each piece is coated. Add the olive oil and massage that in as well. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge. I let it marinate for about 2 hours.

Heat some oil in a skillet and coat the beef with flour. Once the oil is rippling, add the beef and onions and brown them. Once all brown, add the wine and broth. Use the can to add water as well. I used about 1 to 1 1/2. Cover and let simmer for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need to add some more water to keep meat covered.

Depending on how thick you like your gravy, you may need to make a slurry of water and flour to thicken it. Once you have the desired gravy, add the balsamic at the very end.

Eat it on whatever you feel like. I've done rice, noodles, toast, and tonight I did biscuits. The gravy is so good, you could probably eat it on a flip flop. Enjoy!!!!

{Couscous Stuffed Peppers Photo}

The recipe for these beauties is here.
I can attest to their extreme deliciousness!

Menu Plan Monday - Bonnie - 12 October 2009

Menu Plan Monday is hosted by Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Friday
We had the prosciutto pizza again.
It's too good !!

Saturday
Make Your Own Sushi

Sunday
We are trying Jill's Fish Taco's
I realize this is Menu Plan Monday but I'm typing this up on Sunday afternoon ...
I have NEVER eaten a fish taco before.
I'm excited to try one !!

Monday
Ellie's Black Bean Chili Soup

Tuesday
Spanikopita Meatballs
with Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli

Wednesday
Nachos ... makin'em up.
Will take photos and post my recipe ...

Thursday
Ham and Lime Pickle Wraps

Thai Apple Salad

I recently read an article about apples.
I found this recipe in that article ... I modified it to look like this.

The Salad:
50 g (about 2 oz) raw cashews
2 spring onions, finely chopped
150 g (5 oz) sugar snap peas, ends trimmed
1 cup rocket (arugula) - I used a bit more than this ... I like rocket !!
5 wombok (Chinese cabbage) leaves, chopped into thin strips
½ cup fresh coriander leaves ... I used way more than this but you may do it to taste.
2Fuji apples, thinly sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
1 Pink Lady apple, thinly sliced

The Dressing:
1½ tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2.5 cm (1 inch) piece fresh ginger, grated

• Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
• Toast cashews over med. heat. Make sure to watch and shake or they will burn !!
  
• Combine Salad ingredients.
• Top with dressing and cashews.

EASY PEASY and soooooo tasty !
Not to mention totally good for you ...

PS ... I've made this twice and both times I've served it with fish.
A white fish cooked in garlic.
Simple.

Lemon Tea Cookies

What could be better on a cold night? Or any night really!

Tea and Cookies!

I had another cooking night tonight with some of the girls from youth group and couldn't believe it when I realized that this recipe has never been posted on here. These are probably my favorite cookies of all time. You must drop everything and make them RIGHT NOW!

Lemon Tea Cookies

1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar


1/2 cup milk


1/2 cup butter


3/4 cup sugar


1 egg


1 teaspoon shredded lemon peel


1 3/4 cup flour


1 teaspoon baking powder


1/4 teaspoon baking soda


1/4 teaspoon salt





Stir vinegar into milk. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and peel. Sift dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk; beat after each addition. Drop dough from teaspoon 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes (I discovered tonight that small cookies work better at altitude, but I cut the cooking time down a lot. I baked 5 minutes, then turned the pan and baked another 2 minutes - perfect fluffy cookies!). Remove at one; brush with lemon glaze (Lemon Glaze: combine 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup lemon juice).

Enjoy!!

Prosciutto Pizza

You all may have noticed that we have a new addition to the beans blog ! Andrea posted her first recipe today !! I'm very excited about this !! She's always talking (on facebook) about amazing things she makes that I finally just sent her an invite and a suggestion that she post some of them here ! I think you all are going to be as glad as me that she took me up on the offer !!

And now ... the Prosciutto Pizza recipe !!

This was so yummy.
I started with a homemade pizza dough. I make mine in my breadmaker. Easy.

For the topping.
I used a few scoops of Roasted Garlic and Onion Pasta Sauce for the base.
Baby Spinach
Prosciutto, I used about 7 thin slices
Basil leaves, I used Greek Basil (from my garden) which has very small leaves
Kalamata Olives
Mozarella Cheese

Baked in a pre-heated 200 C oven for about 10/15 minutes til cheese was my desired level of brown ... and dough was cooked.



~~

PS ... The photo in my last post was of a lamington ...

Pumpkin (Tofu) Cookies

We've been trying to watch what we eat in our home the past couple months so when Starbucks brought out their "Holiday" pastries and beverages last week I was pretty sad. I've been craving one of their pumpkin scones for awhile. Normally I would just get one with my coffee and then be good for the rest of the season. Well...not this year. So when I ran into this "Fat-free Pumpkin Cookie recipe" I got pretty excited. Well not too excited but thrilled enough to give them a try. And they satisfied my sweet tooth for the moment. If you are feeling healthy and generally just want to try something different this might be right up your alley...if not just head over to Starbucks and pick up a 400+ calorie pumpkin scone...and have a bite for me.


I found the recipe here on FatFree Vegan Kitchen. And I took her recommendation to exchange half the tofu with margarine to make the cookies a little lighter...and tastier.

I want to try her Yellow Split-Pea Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Kale next.

such a {slack}er

I've been cooking up some amazingly yummy dishes these past few weeks. I am so going to share but between me, Jono and Alia being sick, school holidays being on, birthdays, parties, art exhibits, weddings, and LIFE in general, I just haven't been able to post.

I did get a menu planned this week. I'll try to post it tomorrow and hopefully get back on track with posting recipes.

I've got a prosciutto pizza ready to go into the oven now. Should be ready just in time for Rory to get home !! It's a new one. I have no doubt that it will be good. Seriously, how can you go wrong with homemade dough, basil, prosciutto, kalamatas ... oh man, I'm salivating ! HURRY UP RORY !!!

Can anyone tell me what is in the photo ? Rory and Alia made them last week. It was so hard, I'm quite certain they won't be making them again any time soon !

Peach Hand Pies

I had a couple of the girls from youth group over the other night for a baking party - SOOO fun :-) We made these fabulous peach hand pies and Bonnie has been asking for the recipe. I was to busy and distracted to remember to take any photos, but these are SUPER yummy and you'll want to drop everything and go make them. So, whoever makes these next should post a lovely, mouthwatering photo!

Pie Crust

(This is my mom's recipe, not sure where she originally got it, but it's definitely my go to recipe. If you want to have homemade pie crusts in your freezer handy for when you don't have a lot of time, just make a couple batches at once. Instead of rolling the dough out after you divide it into balls, just wrap each ball individually in wax paper and then foil and stick in the freezer. When you want to use some, just take them out, thaw, and then roll out! Easy-Peasy!)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1/2 to 2/3 cup cold water (THIS IS KEY!! I use ICE WATER so it's REALLY cold - your crust will be much flakier if you have cold cold cold water)

Mix flour and salt together; cut in shortening with a pastry blender until the pieces are the size of peas. Sprinkle water one tablespoon at a time in the middle of pastry until all is moistened. Form the dough into a ball. Divide ball into two equal parts. Roll out from center to edge until 1/8 inch thick.

Peach Hand Pies

1 tablespoon butter or margarine
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 lbs ripe peaches (about 4 large peaches - I also discovered that it was right at 6 cups of cut up peaches)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (trick: put the lemon in the microwave for 5 seconds and you'll get more juice out of each lemon)
4 unbaked pie crusts (you can use the refrigerated kind from the store or make your own)
1 large egg, lightly beaten

In large nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. In cup, mix cornstarch with 1/3 cup sugar. Stir peaches, sugar mixture and salt into butter in skillet. Cook 25 minutes or until peaches are very soft and mixture thickens and boils - stir frequently. Boil 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat ; stir in lemon juice (I forgot to do this in one of the batches and it turned out fine). Cool completely (or until you can't wait any longer!). The mixture can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerated until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Lay pie crusts out flat and cut into quarters. Spoon ~2 tablespoons of filling in strip down the center of each quarter, leaving 3/4 inches of dough uncovered at each end. Fold dough over filling. Press edges together with a fork to seal. Transfer pies to ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Make sure there is a little space between each pie on the cookie sheet. Brush tops of pies with egg; sprinkle with remaining sugar. With knife, cut 1-inch slit on top of each pie to allow steam to escape during baking.

Place cookie sheets on 2 oven racks. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown, rotating cooking sheets between uppper and lower oven racks halfway through baking. Transfer pies to wire racks to cool.

(NOTE: Do not eat as soon as they get out - you will burn your tongue. Take my word for it!)

ENJOY!!!

Bonnie Bread

I've had this photo sitting in the drafts for ages ...

I made this up years ago.

I use bake at home bread rolls that I sometimes have in the freezer.

You can put anything on top.

My favorite things include but are not limited to :

olives ... any and all kinds
sundried tomatoes
artichoke hearts
pine nuts
feta cheese
asparagus
salami
mushrooms
top with a bit of mozzarella cheese

Cut open the bread rolls, top with your choice of toppings, bake in oven til cheese is melted ...

Freezer Organization

So, the other day I saw this article in Better Homes and Gardens about organizing your freezer, and I totally wanted to do it.



As luck would have it, we were given a stand-up freezer a couple weeks ago. So, this weekend I went to work. I cleaned the garage, moved the freezer.. plugged it in and got it freezing things... then today, I organized:



Everything is labeled and in it's proper place. I found that I couldn't stick my labels to the metal, so some sections have standing signs like this:

The plastic baskets are great. It keeps things where they belong, and when you need peas.. or something else.. you take out the veggie basket, close the freezer door and search for the peas. You save energy, and don't get frostbite looking for peas.


Things in the door are labeled with clips holding the label in place. I'm so excited to know what I have in my freezer. And then use it.


If you look at the BHG picture at the top, you can see that they have soups in their freezer. They freeze them flat in ziploc bags and then stand them up in a basket once they're frozen. Brilliant. I tried to find the article online to link it, but couldn't. I have a ton of new ideas for the freezer... we'll see if any more of them make it to the garage.

I CAN COOK IT IN THE CROCK POT!

This is a tip, not a recipe, but it's the first time I've ever seen a way to convert cooking times on the stove or in the oven to the crock pot. I adore crock pot cooking and since the cool autumn weather is heading our way, my thoughts are turning to crock pot meals. Happy first day of Autumn/ Spring to you all! I love this day, the balance of it, the daytime hours equalling the nighttime hours precisely today, something that only happens once more all year! Crock pot cooking helps me bring balance at home; nothing like getting home from work to find supper ready to usher in a lovely evening. Enough philosophizing---here's the tip! Hope it's as useful to you all as it seems like it will be to me! Credit goes to a crockpot recipe of the week newsletter I receive.

Crockpot Conversion Chart

If original recipe calls for 1/4 to 1/2 hr, cook on low for 4 to 8 hours or cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours

If original recipe calls for 1/2 to 1 hr, cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours

If original recipe calls for 1 to 3 hrs., cook on low for 8 to 16 hrs. or cook on high for 4 to 6 hrs.

Low is 180 to 200 degrees
High is around 300 degrees

The cooking times sure aren't very specific, but only a guideline given by the Culinary Arts Institute.

Couscous-stuffed Peppers

4 bell peppers (any color)
1 T vegetable oil
1 medium zucchini, shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T lemon juice
2 c cooked couscous
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained
1 tomato, chopped (small pieces)
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t salt
3/4-1 c crumbled feta cheese

Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove stems, seeds, and membranes. (May parboil for 5 minutes if desired--I omit this step as I prefer the pepper a bit crunchy.)

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add zucchini and garlic and saute 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients. Place pepper halfs cut side up in lightly greased shallow baking dish. Fill each pepper half with couscous mixture. (Any extra filling can be put around peppers in dish.)

Bake 20 minutes, until filling is heated through.

Recipe adapted from Reader's Digest.

Peanut Butter Cups

This is for Bonnie.

1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate morsels

3 T butter

1 T oil

¼ cup smooth peanut butter

1 T powdered sugar

If you have those cool Teflon muffin cups, spray with a little non-stick spray. Otherwise, line a muffin pan with cupcake papers.

Melt chocolate, butter and oil. Melt peanut butter and sugar together.

Using a spoon or a pastry bag (I used a spoon but I imagine bags would be MUCH easier), divide half the chocolate mixture between the muffin cups (how many depends on how thick you want your finished candy. I used 6 and they were a little too hefty).

Next, divide the peanut butter evenly among the cups, making at least a half-hearted attempt to keep the peanut butter in the middle.

Cover each cup with the remaining chocolate mixture.

Put muffin pan in freezer for 30 minutes, or until it sets up.

Snarf.

Teriyaki Chicken

I found this recipe at Imperrfections but changed it up a tiny little bit.
The biggest change being the substitution of agave nectar for the sugar !

3 chicken breasts, cut intro strips
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 of 1/3 cup agave nectar (does that make sense ? it called for 1/3 cup sugar so I got out my 1/3 cup and half filled it with agave nectar ...)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp ground pepper

Preheat over to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, 220 degrees Celsius.

Line a 9x13 baking pan with foil (I used baking paper) and lay the chicken in it.

In a small sauce pan whisk together cornstarch and water until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until combined, then stir constantly until thickened. It doesn't take long and you HAVE TO watch it because it will go from thickening to burning in less than 2 seconds ! I think that is because of the agave ...

Once the sauce has thickened, pour over chicken and mix to coat.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.