Recipe Swap

Got a recipe?
Tastes good and nutritious to boot? Share it with our community! Who knows, your neighbour may just thank you for it. Post up links and/or family recipes that tickle the taste-buds but not the wallet.

Vegan to omnivore, all are welcome to contribute. There should be something for everyone.

Bon Appétit!

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

Cookie Calmer - Awesome Molasses

Sometimes when things get a little heated, I find cooking/baking is a great way to let off some steam and diffuse the tension. And for anyone who wants to give me grief, I find stuffing them with cookies is an easy way to cutdown on the backtalk (not polite to talk with your mouth full!). This is a simple recipe that you can make using a double-boiler.

Molasses Cookies

¾ cup of butter
1 cup granulated
¼ cup of molasses
1 egg
1 ¾ cups of flour
½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

2. Melt butter, add sugar and molasses and mix thoroughly. Lightly beat egg and add to butter mixture. Mix well.

3. Sift flour with spices, salt and soda. Add to first mixture. (Batter will be wet)

4. Lay a sheet of foil on a cookie sheet. Drop tablespoons of batter on foil leaving three inches between cookies.

5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until cookies start to darken in colour. Remove and let cool.

Leftovers with Beer, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Olive Quick Bread

I like the challenge of using up leftovers in my fridge and coming up with something new to nosh on. Frugal can be yummy.
This morning, I cobbled together this breakfast:

Leftovers:

  1. Sliced and toasted Beer, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Olive Quick Bread, lightly buttered.
  2. Place warm, steamed kale on top of sliced bread.
  3. Crumble Harvarti cheese on kale.
  4. Place poached egg on top.
  5. Served with a side of fruit with vanilla yogurt.

Beer, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Olive Quick Bread

Of late, I have been very obsessed with baking up quick breads. I thought I'd share this recipe from epicurious.com:

Beer, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Olive Quick Bread

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I changed it to 1 3/4 cup each of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon salt (I reduced the salt content just a little bit)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1 large egg, beaten lightly
a 12-ounce bottle of beer (not dark)
1/2 cup chopped drained sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, reserving 1 tablespoon of the oil
1/3 cup chopped pimiento-stuffed olives

Preheat the oven to 350°F. and grease and flour a loaf pan, 9 by 5 by 3 inches. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, the salt, the baking soda, and the baking powder, add the egg, the beer, the tomatoes with the reserved oil, and the olives, and stir the batter until it is just combined. Turn the batter into the pan and bake the bread in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Turn the bread out onto a rack and let it cool.

I served this bread with some veggie-barley soup and it was delicious.

If anyone out there has a cinnamon quick bread recipe, please post it up. I am now on the hunt for a tasty cinnamon quick bread recipe.

Quick and Easy 5 Ingredient Recipe Link

Satay Marinade for Beef Chicken or Pork

The Bamboo CooksThe Bamboo Cooks

The famous tastes of the Bamboo on Queen live on in this fun cookbook which can still be found online:

http://www.amazon.ca/Ramboo-Cooks-Richard-OBrien/dp/0679308377/ref=sr_1_...

Our area has a few ex Bamboo staff like me kicking around and I still enjoy this food as much as I did the first time I tried it .One of the most popular items at the 'Boo were the satays so here is one of my favourites. The great thing about this list is you can swap out or adapt to your taste with ease. (I play down the sugar and boost the mustard powder and cumin.) Read to the end as there are two important tips I have added that will be of help.

2 lb chicken beef or pork
1 TBSP paprika
1 TSP salt (I use a pinch)
1/2 TBSP turmeric
1TBSP ground coriander
1 TBSP ground cumin
1/2 TBSP ground ginger (I use fresh minced)
1TBSP garlic powder
1/2 TBSP mustard powder
1 TSP cinnamon
1 TSP allspice
1TSP black pepper
1TBSP cayenne
2TBSP white sugar (see below)
2 TBSP memmi or teriyaki sauce (I skip the sugar above and make my own teriyaki with soy and brown sugar)
2 TBSP Thai fish sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 TBSP oyster sauce
3 garlic cloves chopped or minced
1/4 cup vegetable oil

bamboo skewers soaked in water

1. For chicken , skin and debone the meat. You may use chicken breasts, although legs and thighs will be more tender. For beef, use flank steak, boneless round or similar cut. For pork, use boneless pork shoulder or tenderloin. Cut desired meat into 2 inch pieces and set aside.

2. Combine dry ingredients, then add remaining ingredients (excluding meat) and mix well. Pour over meat and refrigerate, covered, for at least 4 hours, or better, overnight. Place 2-3 pieces of meat on each skewer and grill on a hot BBQ for 10-15 minutes for chicken and pork, and 5 minutes for beef. You can also broil the satays in your oven.

The satays should always be served with war peanut sauce and something cold and crunchy as they can be quite spicy. We reccommend serving appetizer satays with shrimp chips and oranges and dinner satays with Gado Gado salad and steamed jasmine rice. Try a cool cucumber salad, coleslaw, watermelon slices or a cold beansprout salad.The satays are delicious cold as well and can spice up a caesar salad or make a great pita.

The satays will keep for 3 days uncooked in an air tight container in the fridge or can be frozen for up to 4 months. Cooked satays will keep up to 5 days refrigerated, and can be frozen for up to 6 months. They can be reheated in the oven.

Are you hungry now?

Here are some other tips or ideas based on this formula.

1. Always take your marinade to the meat. Never the other way. You pour it in and mix as needed and what often happens is that you will have some clean un-meat-contaminated marinade left that can be used up in other ways. If you take your meat to the marinade then you must use it all in the initial cooking as it has touched raw meat: using the leftover marinade from this method for anything else including to baste is a dangerous food contamination practice. It amazes how many people I see who don't understand this. Not only is it safer to bring the marinade to the meat, it savers you money and gives you options such as:

2. Keep that left over clean marinade (freeze it too) and you will find that it tastes great heated and poured over a side of sticky rice (which I prefer) with your satays or a completely different main. On another day if you are steaming up any of the 3 meats in a frying pan with a bit of water, throw in your left over clean marinade to spice it up.

3. Of course use that left over clean marinade as a BBQ sauce on the grill. And yes you can use this in a slow cooker.

4. I have a foodsaver thing and I pre-make and mix the marinade and meat in a big batch and freeze one or two meals in the foodsaver bag which intensifies the flavour into the meat and of course is an awesome meal ready to go. If I am really in a rush I find that cooking the mixture in a pan without the screwers is great as well and really fast.

If there is enough interest I will put up the peanut sauce recipe too.

Get Your Kids in the Kitchen

Fun and easy recipes for your little ones or big ones to get more involved in the kitchen. From Canadian Living: http://www.canadianliving.com/food/kids_cooking/yummy_breakfast_recipes_...

Thanks

For posting that link. So going to put the little chef in the making to work. (with supervision of course)

Squash Soup

Not overly fond of cooking as it is too time consuming however for fall/winter season this is one of my favorite simple recipes.

Butternut squash: 1-2 large
Chicken broth: 2-3 cans
Onion: 1 large
Olive Oil: 1 tbsp
Cream: 1/2 cup*(optional)
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg: (optional)

Directions:
1. Wash and cut the butternut squash(s) in half.
2. In a large saucepan, Slice and saute the onion in olive until tender.
Add squash, broth, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
3. Bring to boil and cook for 30 minutes or until squash is tender.
4. Puree squash mixture in a blender batches until smooth and then return to saucepan.
5. Before serving, add cream and heat through.

Another option is to Roast the butternut squash(s) cut side down on a sheet in the oven for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees F. Then scoop out the prepared squash but I like to mix all the ingredients together and boil. It's less time consuming.

Enjoy......

Chicken Marbella

This recipe is great for a crowd and really easy....just throw the ingredients together, let it sit (overnight is best) then sprinkle with brown sugar and wine and bake....VOILA!

Ingredients:
one "club pack" of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely pureed
1/4 cup dried oregano
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives
1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice
6 bay leaves
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup Italian parsley or fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a shallow baking dish combine chicken quarters, garlic, oregano, pepper and coarse salt to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight.

When ready to bake, sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with pan juices. Chicken is done when thigh pieces, pricked with a fork at their thickest, yield clear yellow (rather than pink) juice.

Best Brownies Ever!

I've been following the Fannie Farmer recipe for brownies for almost 30 years. They are so amazing that I only make them to take to friends or else I end up eating them all myself at home. One of the best things about this recipe is that you can make the brownies in a double-boiler with just a spatula.

3 ounces (85 g) unsweetened chocolate
6 tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups of sugar
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup floor
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square cake pan.
Melt the chocolate and butter in the double-boiler. Remove from heat and pour off the water as soon as the chocolate and butter have melted so the mixture begins to cool. Stir in the sugar, eggs, salt, flour, walnuts and vanilla. Combine well. Spread in the pan and bake for about 40 minutes until dry on top and almost firm to touch.

red cabbage, or in Dutch, rode kool

I'm not great with recipes, too many rules, but this is really easy and delicious.

Get a big fat red cabbage, chop it up and cook it slowly in a pan with a couple of spoonfuls of butter. My mom adds a bay leaf but I can never tell that it makes any difference.... I do add a big spoonful of brown sugar and lots of lemon juice. When the cabbage starts getting soft, add a big, chopped up tart apple. Some peel the apple but I don't. Cook, cook, cook until it is all really soft and yummy and then eat it.

Pumpkin Cupcakes and Make your own pumpkin pie puree

Thanksgiving weekend is arriving. Here is an alternative dessert to the traditional pumpkin pie. I can't remember where I got this recipe from, so my apologies for not providing the proper reference to the original source.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Cupcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree

Cream Cheese Frosting:
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Yellow and red food coloring
Pretzel nuggets (stems)
Green gumdrops (leaves)

1. Heat the oven to 350º and line a 12-cup muffin tin with bake cups. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Set the mixture aside.

2. In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the oil and sugar. Whisk in the eggs and stir in the vanilla extract.

3. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently stir the mixture until well combined. Explain to your child that she should stir only until she can no longer see any pockets or streaks of flour.

4. Stir the pumpkin into the batter until it is thoroughly combined. Spoon the batter into the lined muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of one cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes sit in the tin for 10 minutes and then remove to a rack to cool thoroughly.

5. Meanwhile, make the Cream Cheese Frosting. In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat together the confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, butter, and lemon juice until smooth. Add about 12 drops of yellow food coloring and 4 drops of red food coloring and beat until the frosting turns orange.

6. For authentic-looking pumpkins, pipe on the frosting to resemble a pumpkin's ridges. Fill a sealable plastic bag with frosting, snip a small hole in the corner, and pipe curved lines over each cupcake. (An easier option is simply to frost each cupcake orange and draw ridges from top to bottom with a butter knife.) Use pretzel nuggets for the pumpkin stems and cut flattened green gumdrops into leaves.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Puree
For adventerous bakers and pumpkin pie as dessert traditionalists, here is a link on how to make your own pumpkin pie puree from a real pumpkin:
http://www.pickyourown.org/pumpkinpie.php
Step by step directions are provided.

Easy Oatmeal Pancakes

Oatmeal Pancakes

½ cup rolled oats
¾ cup milk
¼ cup flour
pinch salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1 tsp. sugar
* may add a tablespoon of wheat germ, bran or flaxseed

1. Soak the rolled oats in milk until softened, about half an hour

2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

3. Add rolled oats to dry ingredients and then add slightly beaten egg.

4. Mix until everything is incorporated.

Double recipe to include adult portions.

Lunch Box Ideas/Recipes

School is just around the corner for most of us! The daily lunch box dilemma shall begin. Here are a few links with many lunch box ideas for the kids and perhaps for ourselves too. Peanut free recipes abound.

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/collections/lunch+box+ideas

http://www.school-lunch-ideas.com/Peanut_Free_School_Lunch_Ideas.html

http://www.parenting.com/recipes-gallery/Recipes/10-Fresh-Lunchbox-Ideas