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Tex Mex Meat Loaf January 8, 2010

Posted by Teresa in : Dinner, Lunch , add a comment

Tex-Mex Meat Loaf

Preheat oven to 375°F. Add more chili powder if you like! The nice part is, you don’t have to brown the ground beef!

Ingredients                                    Supplies/Equipment

1 1/2 lb (680 g)     ground beef*                  standard loaf pan
3 slices                   bread
1                             egg
10 oz can                diced tomatoes (300 mL)
1                             small onion, chopped
1/4 tsp                    black pepper
1 tsp                        chili powder

Ingredients (topping)
1/3 cup                   chili sauce (Louisiana hot sauce, whatever)
1/4 cup                   cheddar cheese, grated
Tear bread into small pieces. Combine main ingredients in a bowl. Spread into an ungreased loaf pan. Bake 1 hour in 375°F oven; drain excess drippings. Spoon chili sauce over cooked loaf, sprinkle with cheese, and bake an additional 15 minutes. The bread is awesome!

*You could use “Veggie Ground Round” instead of ground beef, although I haven’t tried it that way yet.

Pumpkin Bread January 8, 2010

Posted by Teresa in : Dessert , add a comment

Found a few new recipes while making “A Few of our Favourite Egg Recipes” book for my dad to give to egg customers. Here’s one of them:

Lynn’s Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

- 3 1/3 cups Flour

- 4 teaspoons Cinnamon

- 2 teaspoons Baking soda

- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder

- 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt

- 2 2/3 cups Sugar

- 2/3 cup Vegetable Oil

- 4 Eggs

- 1 can (15 oz) Pumpkin

- 2/3 cup Water

- 0.5 cup Pecans chopped (optional)

Sift dry ingredients together. Beat sugar and vegetable oil together until blended (mixture will still look dry). Add eggs, 1 at a time, until blended. Add pumpkin and mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients a little at a time, alternating with water. Mix in pecans Pour batter into 2 9×5x3 loaf pans. Sprinke tops of loaves with cinnamon sugar before baking.

Bake at 325 for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing from pans.

Cheese Straw Heavenliness December 23, 2009

Posted by Teresa in : Snacks/Party Food , add a comment

Oh, these are the best things ever! I am making a batch at this moment, and realized I haven’t posted them here!  Oh, they are so delicious! The recipe comes from 101 Cookbooks. My notes are in blue.

Buckwheat Cheese Straws

The buckwheat flour here gives these cheese straws a depth that others made from all-purpose flour don’t have. That being said, you could certainly give these a shot using all whole wheat pastry flour, spelt flour, or unbleached all-purpose flour. Or experiment with other flours in place of the buckwheat flour.

1/2 cup buckwheat flour — Of course, I don’t have buckwheat flour, so I run buckwheat (easy to get in grocery stores) through my food processor for a couple of minutes. The crunchy bits left just add to the flavour!
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour – I use the “best for bread” kind we can get in Canada.
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped – I also made these with rosemary once – yum!
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3/4 cup (2 1/2 ounces) white cheddar, shredded on a box grater — I used aged cheddar :)
1/2 cup ice cold water

Combine the flours, salt and thyme in a bowl of a food processor. Put the 1/2 cup water in the freezer. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles little pebbles in a beach of sandy flour (about 20 quick pulses). Alternately, you can cut the butter in using a knife and fork. Transfer to a mixing bowl and toss in the cheese. Sprinkle with ice water and use your hands or a spoon to stir it through and bring everything together into a ball of dough. Flatten the ball into a 1-inch thick square patty, wrap well in plastic, and place in the freezer for thirty minutes (or outside in a Canadian winter for five). :P

In the meantime, preheat your oven to 400F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat, and place a rack in the middle of the oven.

I find it easiest to work with one half of the dough at a time. Remove the dough from the freezer, cut in half, re-wrap the half you won’t be using immediately, and place it back in the freezer. If the dough gets too warm it is difficult to work with. On a well-floured surface roll out the remaining dough into a rectangle roughly 6×12-inches and 1/4-inch thick. Use a knife to cut 1/2-inch wide strips, each about 6-inches long. Now take a strip of dough and gently pinch it all along its length so that it is easier to roll out into a straw shape roughly 12-inches long. If the dough is giving you trouble, consider chilling it a bit longer. Place each straw on the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining strips, leaving at least 1/2 inch between each straw.

Bake the straws one pan at a time for about 8-10 minutes, or until the straws look set, and the cheese is golden where it is touching the pan. Flip each straw and bake for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Keep in mind if your straws are on the thin side, they’ll bake in a flash, if they are slightly thicker they will need to go longer. Remove from oven and let cool, they will crisp more as they cool.

Sometimes I bake off half the dough, and keep the other half in the freezer for another day, but feel free to bake all of it – repeating the process with the second half of reserved dough.

Makes about 4 dozen straws.

Thank you, Heidi, for such a delicious recipe!!

Super Yummy Chili! December 3, 2009

Posted by Teresa in : Dinner, Lunch , add a comment

I made this yesterday and it was the best chili I think I’ve ever made!  Complex flavour spectrum….  :) (I picked that up on Food Network.) Throw it all into a nice big pot, medium heat, and start adding everything:

Ingredients:

- 1 large can crushed tomatoes

-1 pkg Veggie Ground Round (the best stuff – no browning required!)

- 1 can mixed beans (would also be good with an additional can of kidney beans), drained, rinsed and drained again

- 1/4 bottle of beer (no more or it gets too runny)

Then comes the flavour!! Add some (anywhere from 1/4 – 1 teaspoon) of the following ingredients, depending on your tastes:

- chili powder

- sea salt

- cayenne pepper (and I think I put some fresh ground black pepper in too)

- garlic, chopped fine

- paprika

- chili sauce – Frank’s Red Hot or Louisiana hot sauce (not too much!)

- Tobasco sauce

- Worchestershire sauce

- a dollop of molasses (yes, for real!)

- maple syrup (don’t gasp!), about 1 Tbsp

- about 6 melting chocolates, the ones that are button shaped, about 1 inch across (stir well to melt)

The sweetness counteracts the spicy and makes all the tastebuds on your tongue come alive! Taste often to make sure you haven’t gone too far in any direction, sweet or spicy… you might need more spicy after adding the sweet stuff! Enjoy the best chili that ever took you 10 minutes to make!

When I make this again, I think I’ll start with some onions, and might also add some jalapenos or other hot peppers, if I’ve got ‘em. And it’s always better to let it simmer, but you can also make it super fast!

Delicious Bagel Chips! October 24, 2009

Posted by Teresa in : General , add a comment

I made these the other day and they were delicious! Satisfied the need for crunch, without a ton of fat!

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 or toaster oven works fine. With a sharp knife, slice bagel into very thin slices so that you can almost see through them (youll get about 10 slices). Place slices on a baking sheet. Lightly spray with cooking spray (I used olive oil dabbed on). Quickly sprinkle in a small amount of seasoning (a little goes a long way) or leave plain. Bake for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned-be careful; they burn easily. Break each slice into 4 chips.

Per serving: 20 Calories; less than one gram Fat (6% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 39mg Sodium NOTES : Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

This recipe came from Big Oven, where it was referenced to have come from The Joslin Diabetes Gourmet Cookbook.  :)

Crazy Caramel & Cranberry Banana Split September 30, 2009

Posted by Teresa in : Dessert , add a comment
OMG!  Another one I have try! And I know my hubby will love it! This one comes from “Ricardo & Friends” and the foodtv.ca webpage. :)

Banana Splits with Cranberry Compote and Coffee Caramel

Ingredients:

For the Cranberry Compote

  • 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) sugar
  • 250 ml (1 cup) water
  • 500 ml (2 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries

For the Coffee Caramel

  • 60 ml (1/4 cup) water
  • 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) sugar
  • 125 ml (1/2 cup) 35% cream
  • 125 ml strong coffee
  • 60 ml (1/4 cup) salted butter

For Assembly

  • Vanilla ice cream
  • 4 x bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise
  • 75 ml (1/3 cup) pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Directions:

For the Cranberry Compote

  1. In a saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Add the cranberries. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let cool partially. Refrigerate for 12 hours.

For the Coffee Caramel

  1. In a saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Using a wet pastry brush, wash down any sugar crystals from the sides of the pan.
  2. Simmer without stirring until the mixture turns light gold. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the cream, coffee and butter. Bring to a boil and let simmer, while whisking until the caramel is dissolved and the mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes. Let cool, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

For Assembly

  1. For each banana split, arrange 2 banana halves side by side in a bowl. Add 2 or 3 scoops of ice cream. Spoon caramel over the ice cream. Top with cranberry compote and pecans.
  2. Note: This recipe makes enough caramel and cranberry compote for 8 banana splits.

    The caramel and cranberry compote will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. Use them on ice cream, cakes and brownies.

Pumpkin Cake September 30, 2009

Posted by Teresa in : Dessert , add a comment
Here’s another one from “French Food at Home,” one that I haven’t had a chance to try yet! But oh, it looks YUMMY!!!!
Ingredients:

Pumpkin Cake

  • 3 x eggs, separated
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup corn flour
  • 2 cups butternut squash or pumpkin purée
  • 1/4 cup rum
  • Zest of 1 orange
Directions:
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Grease and line a 9-inch/23-cm spring-form pan. Beat the yolks and sugar until light and pale. Beat in the cornstarch and corn flour until smooth. Beat in the pumpkin, rum, and orange zest. Finally, beat the whites into peaks.
  2. Stir some into the pumpkin mixture to lighten it, then fold the pumpkin together with the remainder. Pour into the pan and bake until done, 45 minutes to an hour. Let the cake cool slightly, before running a knife around the edges of the pan and removing the sides. Serve slightly warm (not too warm, or impossible to cut) with cinnamon whipped cream.

Cauliflower Salad September 30, 2009

Posted by Teresa in : Dinner, Lunch , add a comment

Got this one from “French Food at Home” on FoodTV. Tried it tonight – it was very good, even though I (accidentally) left out the garlic.  :)

Cauliflower Salad

- 1 x small cauliflower or half a large one

- 1 clove garlic minced

- 2 generous handfuls of sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil

- 2 generous handfuls black olives, sliced

- 2 handfuls of fresh tarragon or basil leaves, chopped

- Zest of a lemon and juice to taste

- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

- Salt and pepper

Directions: Break cauliflower into florettes, discarding the central stem. Slice them thinly and put them in a bowl. Toss with the garlic, tomatoes, olives, tarragon, and lemon zest. Squeeze over lemon juice. Pour over olive oil. And season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust quantities to suit your tastes.

Crispy, Healthy Fish August 28, 2009

Posted by Teresa in : Dinner, Lunch , add a comment

Halibut Crusted with Cornmeal and Sesame

Yield: 4

Instead of deep-frying to get a crispy crust for fish – this method is a good lean and mean alternative. The cornmeal and sesame give a wonderful textured crust and there’s a double coriander flavour with the fresh herb and crushed seeds.
Ingredients:

Halibut Crusted with Cornmeal and Sesame

  • 4 piece skinless halibut fillet, each fillet about 5 to 6-ounces
  • 1/3 cup cornmeal (75 ml)
  • 3 tbsp Sesame seeds (45 ml)
  • 1 tsp cracked coriander seeds (5 tsp.)
  • Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • Small handful of fresh coriander, chopped
  • 2 tbsp grapeseed oil (30 ml)

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Add cornmeal, sesame seeds, cracked coriander to plate or shallow baking dish. Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Dip fish into freshly chopped coriander. Dredge fish generously into the cornmeal mixture, coating evenly on all sides.
  4. Add oil to non-stick skillet or large sauté pan over medium high heat. When oil is hot, pan sear fish on both sides until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.
  5. Transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake fish in oven until just firm to the touch and cooked through, about 7 to 9 minutes.
This one came from Foodtv.ca, Christine Cushine Live (here)!  Aw, darn I should have taken a picture of it!  I just devoured it! (And I used Basa instead of Halibut.) Enjoy!

Black Bean Brownies August 9, 2009

Posted by Teresa in : Dessert , add a comment

This recipe is from one of my favourite sites, 101Cookbooks!  :) Click here. They are a bit of work, but SO WORTH IT!

Amazing Black Bean Brownie Recipe

For those of you who have a hard time tracking down agave nectar (which is becoming much more readily available) substitute honey 1:1 for the agave nectar. Ania’s head notes encourage you to keep these brownies in the refrigerator, they will slice much better if refrigerated several hours or preferably overnight. I used instant coffee this time around, but you can find natural coffee substitute at many natural food stores.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups soft-cooked black beans, drained well (hs: canned is fine)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (granulated) natural coffee substitute (or instant coffee, for gluten-sensitive)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs
1½ cups light agave nectar ( I used honey… and wow, that’s a lot!)

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 11- by 18-inch (rimmed) baking pan (hs note: or jellyroll pan) with parchment paper and lightly oil with canola oil spray.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely. Place the beans, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and a couple of spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Blend about 2 minutes, or until smooth. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, coffee substitute, and salt. Mix well and set aside.

In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the agave nectar and beat well. Set aside.

Add the bean/chocolate mixture to the coffee/chocolate mixture. Stir until blended well.

Add the egg mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. (They will be soft until refrigerated.)

Makes 45 (2-inch) brownies.

Reprinted with permission from Baking With Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature’s Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. (Ten Speed Press 2008)