Grandma's No Bake Whipped Cheesecake

My Grandma has been making this cheesecake for over 40 years. She pinched the recipe from the restaurant kitchen when she worked at Woolworth's in the early 1960's. (It's also known as Woolworth's Icebox Cheesecake.) This cheesecake has been a favourite in my family ever since, and makes an appearance at every major family function and holiday gathering. I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon at Grandma's the other day learning how to make this classic dessert. It's easier than I expected, although a stand mixer (which I do not have) is a definite must. It could be put together using an electric hand mixer but would require a bit more time and effort.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 block (250g) cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tins evaporated milk, refrigerated overnight before using
- 1 large packet lemon gelatin
- 2/3 cup boiling water
- 2/3 cup cold water

Directions:

1. Mix 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs and melted butter together in a bowl. Press crumbs into a deep 9x12 inch baking pan, covering the bottom and up the sides about half an inch. Reserve the other 1/2 cup of the crumbs for topping. Refrigerate crust until ready to use.

2. Add cream cheese, sugar and vanilla to a small bowl of an electric stand mixer and cream together until smooth and well blended, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

3. Add milk to a large bowl an electric stand mixer and whip until stiff peaks are formed.

4. While milk is beating, prepare gelatin. Mix gelatin powder with boiling water and cold water. Mix well to dissolve powder but do not allow to congeal.

5. While mixer is running, slowly add gelatin mixture to whipped milk. Mix together on slow speed for 1/2 a minute.

6. While mixer is still running, slowly add cream cheese mixture to whipped milk. Mix together on slow speed for another 1/2 minute or until all cream cheese is incorporated.

7. Pour mixture over crumbs in prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over top. Refrigerate at least 12 hours before serving.

Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen - Spicy Dill Beans

It's that time of year again! Time to start thinking about Christmas gifts and holiday menus! Last year I made several tasty creations in my kitchen and gave them out to friends and family. More great gifts from the kitchen will be coming over the next couple months!


At the request of my mother, I spent an afternoon canning Spicy Dill Beans. I use a recipe that Vancity Rock Girl posted over two years ago. I first canned beans using this recipe before Christmas in 2008. I had labels and little cards with the Mott's Caesar recipe, printed through Vistaprint. I wrapped the jars up all pretty and gave them out to extended family and friends. They were a HUGE hit! I continued to get requests for these tasty beans throughout 2009. Now the supplies are running short and people are in need of more beans! You can't drink a Caesar without a Spicy Dill Bean to garnish! They are also great for munching as a snack. This recipe also works for carrots and asparagus... especially asparagus!

Vancity Rock Girl's Spicy Dill Beans:

Yields 4 pints

2 lbs green beans, trimmed to about 3 1/2 inches
4 red jalapeño peppers, cut in half lengthwise
8 sprigs of fresh dill
8 cloves of garlic, peeled
4 tbsp mustard seeds
2 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
2 tbsp picking salt

1. See here for instructions on how to prepare jars for canning and here for how to prepare your boiling-water canner.

2. In a large saucepan, mix water, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Keep warm on the stove top while you finish the next step.

3. To each jar, add 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of mustard seeds, two halves of hot peppers and two sprigs of fresh dill. Tightly pack the beans into each jar.

4. Pour the hot vinegar mixture into each jar and fill, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace at the top. Cover with a hot snap lid and secure with a ring. (You want air & water to be able to circulate during the water bath, so don't tighten the ring too much.)

5. Place jars into boiling water bath canner. Ensure water comes up 1 inch above the top of the jars. Bring to a boil again and process the jars for 10 minutes (15 minutes if above 1000ft elevation). Turn off the heat. Wait 5 minutes before removing jars from water (to stabilize pressure inside jars). Remove jars from water and place them on a towel. Let jars sit, undisturbed, to cool at room temperature overnight. Remove rings, label jars with contents and date, and store jars in a cool, dark place. (If you are giving as gifts, leave rings on, or replace rings just before gifting.) Let sit at least 2 weeks before using.


Check Vistaprint for cheap custom labels and business cards. They have daily deals where you get the printing on several items free and just pay shipping. I have custom printed stationary, envelopes, pens, post-it's, note cards and note pads. It can be quite addictive at first and the products make great gifts!

Pea Shoot, Tomato and Egg Salad

This is one of my favourites from The 10 Cent Diet. It's so fresh and simple. I eat it as a snack or as a salad with lunch. If you boil a few eggs in advance and keep them in your fridge, you can put this delicious salad together in a couple minutes.

Pea shoots, like all sprouts, are incredibly nutritious. They are super concentrated with nutrients - including seven times more vitamin C than blueberries, eight times more folic acid than bean sprouts and four times more vitamin A than tomatoes. (Source). Add a sliced garden fresh tomato and a perfectly hard boiled, free-range egg and you have a complete snack.

Serves 1

1 handful fresh pea shoots, cut in half
1 tomato, halved and sliced
1 (or 2) hard boiled egg(s), sliced
Balsamic vinegar
Sea salt (I use Fleur de Sel) and fresh cracked pepper

1. Layer pea shoots, tomato and egg in a bowl.

2. Top with a drizzle of balsamic and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

If you're feeling extra fancy, used reduced balsamic vinegar. It's extra delicious that way. (Put 1 cup balsamic in a saucepan and simmer on low until volume reduced by half and balsamic is syrupy).

Clean Iced Tea

Nothing says summer like a tall, cool glass of sweet iced tea! Iced tea is my favourite (non-alcoholic) beverage. Unfortunately, most commercially produced iced tea brands contain MORE sugar per serving than a can of pop! I don't know about you, but I could do without all that added sugar... and water (even with a wedge of lemon or lime) just isn't quite refreshing enough on a hot summer day. Instead, I brew my own iced tea and sweeten it with natural, low GI agave syrup. I can adjust the sweetness and use different tea flavours to suit my tastes.

4 Individual Bags of your favourite Tea (I used plain old Lipton black tea today)
1 lemon, sliced thin
3 tbsp agave syrup
5 cups boiling water

1. Place tea bags and half the lemon slices in a large pitcher. If your tea bags have paper label tabs, remove them prior to adding the bags to the pitcher.

2. Add water to pitcher and stir. Measure in agave syrup and stir again. Steep tea for 10 minutes or longer if you like it strong.

3. Remove tea bags from pitcher and place pitcher in refrigerator to cool. Once cooled, add more agave if desired.

4. Serve over ice with a slice of lemon.

Variations: Experiment with different flavours of tea. Also try making tea blends, using a few bags of flavoured tea and a few bags of regular black tea. My favourite is using 3 bags of green tea with 1 bag of black tea. For added flavour, add a teaspoon or two of honey - just be sure to reduce the amount of agave!

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Brown Butter Sauce

When butter is melted and left to cook, the milk solids separate from the fat and sink to the bottom of the pan. There, they begin to caramelize and turn a light brown colour. The resulting liquid is very aromatic and has delicious nutty flavour, which is why the French refer to this as "Beurre Noisette" - hazelnut butter. The butter can be used as is, poured over vegetables, pasta, fish, poultry and meats, or mixed with other ingredients to create a rich, flavourful sauce.

1 bunch fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
6 tbsp butter
2 tsp soy sauce*

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Arrange asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lightly spray with olive oil cooking spray.

3. Roast asparagus in oven for 10-12 minutes, until tender.

4. While asparagus is cooking, add balsamic vinegar and honey to a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until reduced by half.

5. Melt butter in another small saucepan over medium-low heat and cook until colour turns light brown. Careful not to burn the butter.

6. Once butter is a light caramel colour and has a nutty aroma, remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons of the reduced balsamic and the soy sauce. Stir together. Spoon off and discard any foam from the top. Pour into a glass measuring cup or other glass cup with spout. Stir together well so mixture does not separate. Sauce should be a dark and rich with a thick, syrupy consistency.

7. Remove asparagus from oven and place into a serving dish. Pour Balsamic Brown Butter sauce over top of asparagus. Serve immediately.

*Use Gluten Free, if required.

Clean Strawberry Skillet Jam

I did a bad thing yesterday and left a colander full of fresh strawberries out all day and night. When I found them today they were pretty soft and starting to bruise in some spots. Not good enough to eat as is, passable in a smoothie but best in jam!

This skillet jam is a no-brainer. It doesn't take a large amount of fruit and takes no time at all to cook up a batch. Spoon it over toast, scones, or my favourite way, over top of ice cream.

The strawberries are so sweet on their own that a whole lot of added sugar isn't necessary. The apricot preserves add extra sweetness as well as act as a thickening agent. The vanilla is optional but it adds such great flavour and makes your kitchen smell fabulous. You don't want to skip the vanilla!

Yields about 1 1/2 cups

2 cups small diced strawberries
1 tbsp sucanat
1 tbsp low-cal apricot preserves
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Add diced strawberries to a saucepan. Using a potato masher or the back of a spoon, gently mash the strawberries a little bit to extract some juice.Add the sucanat and apricot preserves and stir well.

2. Cook mixture over medium-high heat, stirring often. When a liquid consistency is reached, add vanilla extract. Continue to mash up any large pieces using the back of a spoon or a small masher. Bring to a low boil and continue cooking jam for about 10 minutes until syrup thickens.



3. Remove from heat and let cool. It will continue to thicken as it cools. If you prefer a smoother jam, use an immersion blender to puree mixture, or leave as is for a chunky, rustic texture. I did a half & half and pulsed my mixture with the immersion blender a couple times, but kept some chunks as well.

4. Spoon into a glass jar or other container with a tight fitting lid. Jam keeps in the refrigerator for a couple weeks, but it probably won't last that long!



For a different flavour combination, substitute another flavour of preserves in place of apricot. Blackberry would be fantastic!

Use it over vanilla ice cream. Trust me. :)

Tequila Lime Chicken

This recipe is from The Pioneer Woman. I used the marinade on chicken for Fajita Night while on vacation and my cousin declared they were the best fajitas she'd ever eaten! The marinade is a keeper and since I hate drinking Tequila I might as well cook with it!

Tequila Lime Chicken:

3 tbsp fresh lime juice (3-4 whole limes)
Zest of 1 lime
5 cloves garlic
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tsp salt
large handful fresh cilantro
1/2 cup Tequila
1/4 cup olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1. Combine lime juice, zest, garlic, jalapeno, salt, cilantro, and tequila in a blender and pulse until all blended. Add olive oil and pulse again to combine.

2. Place chicken in a heavy-duty plastic zip lock bag and pound to an even thickness using a mallet. Pour marinade into bag and seal. Massage marinade into chicken breast. Place in fridge and marinate for a few hours, or overnight.



3. After marinating, remove chicken from bag and place on hot grill. Discard marinade. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

4. Slice chicken to use as fajita or taco meat or serve the whole breast, topped with grated Monterey Jack cheese and fresh salsa as the PW does.



I used my chicken for soft tacos! Fresh Pico De Gallo, sliced avocado and shredded Jack cheese.

Delicious!

A Little More Than Five Minute Tomato Sauce

I'm going on vacation for a couple weeks; leaving Wednesday. I've been trying to use up all my fresh produce so I don't have to throw it out before I go. I had four tomatoes that weren't quite fresh enough to eat raw but weren't quite rotten enough to throw out. I figured I would make a batch of tomato sauce and freeze it for use when I returned home. I spent quite a bit of time searching online to find a quick and easy tomato sauce recipe that called for the basic ingredients I had on hand, namely tomatoes.

I found this one at 101 Cookbooks. It's called Five Minute Tomato Sauce and only uses canned tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and seasonings. I adapted the recipe slightly since I used fresh tomatoes and added some onion. I also added a can of my Grandma's home-canned stewed tomatoes.

A little more than five minutes, but this sauce is so simple and tasty, I will definitely be adding it to my repertoire.

A Little More Than Five Minute Tomato Sauce:

Makes about 4 cups



4 tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes (or your Grandma's homemade stewed tomatoes if you are so lucky!)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/2 onion, diced small
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

1. Prepare the fresh tomatoes by gently cutting a shallow X shape into the bottoms. Immerse the tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes to soften the skins. Drain and run cold water over the tomatoes. When tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove from the pot and peel the skins off, by pulling the sides where the X was cut. The skins should remove easily.

2. Place fresh tomatoes in a blender and pulse a couple times. Don't over do it! You do not want to puree the tomatoes.

3. Heat oil in sauce pan over medium. Add onion and saute for a couple minutes until they turn translucent. Add garlic, salt and chili flakes. Saute for 45 seconds.

4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and blended tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Add Italian seasoning and stir well. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20-30 minutes. (Since we are using fresh tomatoes, there is more liquid to boil off so a longer cooking time is required.)

5. Taste sauce and more salt if needed.

6. Spoon sauce over pasta of your choice & enjoy!

I had a friend over for dinner last night and served the sauce over spinach & cheese ravioli with a sprinkle of fresh grated Parmesan. The sauce was simple and delightful. Very fresh tasting, with a bit of a kick.

Spicy Mongolian Beef (Sweet & Spicy Beef)

Mongolian Beef. A delicious dish of succulent beef, bathed in a sweet, spicy and savoury sauce. A delicious dish that has nothing to do with Mongolia. Odd, eh? This dish is actually an Americanized "Chinese" dish. Mongolian Beef uses Asian inspired ingredients, but you won't find this in China and you definitely won't find it in Mongolia. I vote we change the name to Sweet & Spicy Beef. But that's just me.

P.S. I LOVED this dish.

Marinade:

1 lb flank steak, cut into very thin slices against the grain
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (rice wine)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sucanat (or dark brown sugar)
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp garlic chili sauce
2 green onion, cut into 1 inch lengths

1. Place steak into a shallow dish.

2. Mix all ingredients together and pour over steak. Toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. The longer you marinate the better. Drain remaining marinade before using beef in the stir fry.

Sauce:

1/3 cup orange juice
zest of half 1 large orange
1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine (rice wine)
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp garlic chili sauce
1 tbsp corn starch mixed with a splash of warm water

1. Mix everything together in a bowl and set aside.


Stir Fry:

Marinated beef
Prepared sauce
4 green onions, cut diagonally into 1 inch pieces
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 Thai chili peppers, seeded and sliced thin
2 tbsp peanut oil

1. Heat a wok over high heat. Add 1 tbsp peanut oil and roll wok to coat. Add beef pieces. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes until beef is mostly browned. A little pink here and there is okay. Remove beef from the wok and set aside.

2. Add another tbsp of peanut oil to the wok. Add onion, green onions and chili peppers and stir gently for a minute.

3. Pour the sauce into the wok. Stir for a couple minutes until sauce starts to thicken. Add beef back to wok. Toss together so beef is well coated in sauce.

4. Remove beef from wok immediately. Serve with rice or rice stick noodles. Sprinkle sliced green onion and grated orange zest on top to finish.

Mini Cranberry Egg Salad Pitas

I first made this egg salad recipe years ago and I have loved it ever since. I found it in an old magazine. I've since lost the original recipe but I still remember the basics. I tweeked it slightly to remove the added fat of mayo and a couple other undesirables, but the spirit remains the same. This has always been my absolute favourite Egg Salad.

Serves 2

4 mini pita pockets or 1 large pita, cut in quarters
6 hard boiled eggs, peeled
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp Greek yogurt
2 tbsp dried cranberries, chopped
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 tsp herb seasoning blend or 1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (your pick!)
salt & pepper to taste

1. Break apart the hard boiled eggs. Reserve three yolks and discard the other three. Add all the whites and three of the yolks to a bowl.

2. Add the Dijon and yogurt. Using a small masher or fork, mash the egg into smaller pieces while mixing everything together.

3. Add the cranberries, nuts/seeds, herbs, salt and pepper. Mix well. Adjust seasonings to suit your tastes.

4. Cut off the tops of the mini pitas to form a pocket. Spoon egg mixture into the pita until just full.

Variations:
- Try changing it up. Minced red onion, sliced green onion, diced celery, chopped fresh parsley, different nuts... you name it, it will work in this recipe!

Moules Provencales (Mussels Steamed in White Wine)

Mussels were on sale at the market today and I have been wanting to try making them at home for a long, long time so I decided to go for it. When I got home I did some extensive 'net research to ensure I prepared the mussels in the healthiest and most sanitary way possible. One of the things I came across was this hilarious YouTube video of a French Chef preparing "Moules Provencales". I based this recipe on his tutorial and it turned out great.

The video is here.

extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced (THE MORE THE BETTER!)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 cup white wine
1 to 1.5kg (3 lb) live mussels, washed and beards removed
2-4 tbsp butter
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, or 1 fresh tomato, seeded and diced
sea salt & fresh cracked pepper

1. Here is a great article on picking, storing and preparing mussels. If you are not already familiar with mussels, make sure you read up before you begin.

2. Keep mussels refrigerated until ready to use. When ready to cook, pick through your mussels to ensure all are tightly closed. If any are open, follow Chef Jean Pierre's instructions in the video above and lightly tap on the shells and set aside for a few minutes. I found almost all of mine closed after this "tapping" process. Out of the whole batch, I only had to throw out three, two of which had broken shells. The rest were perfectly fine after a bit of tapping and resting - as Chef Jean Pierre said, they really were just sleeping with their mouths open. :)

3. Place mussels in a colander and rinse under cold water. Remove beards (if they are present - mine didn't have beards) and scrub off any barnacles or grit. Mine were "cultivated", or "rope grown" so the shells were very smooth and clean. Wild mussels will likely need a bit of gentle scrubbing.

4. While mussels are resting in the colander, heat olive oil in a saute pan (with a lid) over medium heat. Add onions and sweat for a minute or two then add garlic. Stir until onions turn transcendent.

5. Pour in wine and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Now, as Chef Jean Pierre said, CRANK UP THE HEAT and pour in the mussels. Immediately put the lid on the pan and gently shake the pan a bit. Watch the clock. Two minutes was the perfect amount of time for my mussels, which is just about when the steam started to come out of the pan.

6. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove mussels from the pan and place into a covered serving dish. Gently sort through mussels and discard any that did not open (they only need to open 1 cm, minimum).

7. Strain cooking juices into a bowl. Take the strained liquid and pour back into the saute pan. Discard the onion/garlic mixture. If a few onions sneak into the juices, that's a-okay.

8. Turn the heat to medium and simmer the wine for minute. Add the butter and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Let reduce for about 5 minutes. Add parsley, sea salt and cracked pepper and stir together.

9. Pour liquid over the mussels. Serve with crusty bread for dipping into the juice!

A+ - This is definitely a fave. I shared the dish with my mom for dinner. Between the mussels and half a baguette, it was all the food we needed.

Homemade Frozen Yogurt

This is homemade frozen yogurt WITHOUT an ice cream maker. Yes, it can be done!

A few years ago I bought a fabulous Magic Bullet blender and I have been making my own version of frozen yogurt ever since. I usually make up a batch at the start of the week and keep it on hand for quick, healthy desserts and evening snacks. Out of curiosity I Google'd recipes for homemade frozen yogurt and found that most of them contain an enormous amount of added sugar. One i looked at called for 1 cup icing sugar for only 1 cup of yogurt. Many recipes called for gelatin, evaporated milk and even eggs. Why? Yogurt freezes well and quickly without the need for added stabilizers and frozen berries contain such a high amount of natural sugar it seems redundant to add much more. Try it and you will see!

Serves 3-4

1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 cup frozen berries (I used raspberries this time)
1 tbsp agave syrup
2 tbsp coconut water (optional)

1. Add everything to a blender and pulse until berries are pureed and the mixture is smooth.

2. Pour into a glass bowl that has a tight fitting lid. Tap on counter top to get all the air out of the bottom and evenly spread mixture.

3. Cover and place in freezer for 1-2 hours or until frozen.

4. When ready to serve, remove from freezer and set on counter for 10-15 minutes. Scoop into bowls and enjoy!

5 Factor Chicken Yakatori

This recipe is from the 5 Factor Wold Diet cookbook. The book is actually quite interesting. Trainer to the stars, Harley Pasternak analyzes the traditional lifestyles, culinary habits and diets of ten of the healthiest countries in the world (based on life expectancy and obesity rates), then bases his recipes and meal plans around them. It should be no surprise that four of the top 10 countries are in Asian and five are around the Mediterranean (the tenth is Sweden, praised for it's "rustic and practical" diet, which includes a great deal of fish). The 5 Factor Diet itself isn't much of a diet at all. The principles making up the "5 Factors" are kind of "no-brainers" to healthy living;

1. Eat 5 small meals a day.
2. Follow 5 specific nutritional criteria for each meal (protein, complex carbs, fiber, healthy fat & a non-caloric beverage).
3. Each meal should contain no more than 5 core ingredients and take only 5 minutes to prepare (this isn't so much for health as it is for convenience).
4. Work out for a minimum of 25 minutes, 5 days a week.
5. Enjoy one "free" day a week.

I bought the book mainly for its recipes for healthy, quick and easy Asian dishes. So far I am quite pleased.

Chicken Yakatori

Serves 2

Slightly modified from the original recipe.

1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp agave syrup
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut vertically into 1 inch strips
8 wooden skewers, soaked in water at least 20 minutes

1. Whisk together mirin, soy sauce, agave, rice vinegar and ginger in a deep glass bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of marinade for basting. Add the cut chicken pieces to the marinade and toss well to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to a couple hours. Once marinated, thread chicken pieces onto skewers.

2. Pre-heat grill or non-stick grill pan over high heat. Place the skewers on the grill and cook for 3-5 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. Brush chicken pieces with reserved marinade.

3. Serve over warm brown rice with a side of marinated cucumber salad or serve as an appetizer.

Marinated Cucumber Salad:

1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp agave syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1 English cucumber, sliced very thin
1/2 red onion, sliced very thin
1/4 Thai red chili pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp black sesame seeds

1. Combine vinegar, water, salt and agave syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat.

2. Cook until boiling then set aside to cool.

3. Place sliced cucumber, onion and chili pepper in a bowl. Pour vinegar over top of vegetables.

4. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

5. Using a slotted spoon, scoop vegetables onto plate. Top with course fresh ground pepper and black sesame seeds.

Slow Cooker Lazy Cabbage (un)Roll Casserole

I have two very sad pieces of news:

1. My mom ate all my left over Lazy Cabbage (un)Roll Casserole.
2. I didn't get a chance to take a picture before she ate it.

The good news is, this dish is REALLY REALLY good. So good, it prompted my mom to steal from my fridge, a rather large tupperware container full of it. Then she e-mailed me asking for the recipe because she was telling the ladies at work how good it was and now they want to make it too.

All the taste without the hassle.

Ingredients:

- 1lb (16oz) pkg coleslaw mix or 1/2 whole green cabbage, sliced thin
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice, uncooked
- 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 cans tomato soup
- 4 tbsp sucanat (or brown sugar)
- 2 cups water

Directions:

1. Brown the ground beef in a saute pan. Drain excess fat. Mix in garlic. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix together diced tomatoes, tomato soup, sucanat and water.

3. Place coleslaw/cabbage in the bottom of your slow cooker. Using the whole bag of coleslaw mix may seem like a lot of cabbage, but it will wilt down. Layer ground beef over top of coleslaw. Follow with onions and rice. Pour tomato mixture and water over top. Add a bit more water if it looks too thick. DO NOT STIR MIXTURE.

4. Set slow cooker to high for 4.5 hours.

5. Once cooked, stir well to mix.

6. Top with a bit of shredded cheese or a dollop of sour cream. Freezes well too!

Note:
I used a 6 quart slow cooker. If yours is smaller, reduce the amount or make it in batches and freeze the left overs. To reduce the amount, use 1/2 bag of coleslaw, 1 cup rice, 1 can on tomato soup, 1 cup of water and 3 tbsp sucanat. Leave all other amounts the same.

My Favourite Snack

Corn Thins, Laughing Cow and sliced green onion...

...or chives, or basil, or cucumber, or tomato, or smoked salmon, or salsa. Anything goes.

Quick, easy, light and delicious.

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Sorry I've been MIA. I was sick, out of town and then my internet connection crashed for an entire week! Health and internet are all better now. This recipe emerged while I was sick and in need of a quick fix comfort dish. Easy peasy.

1 carton chicken stock
1 carrot, peeled and diced small
1 celery stalk, diced small
1/2 of 1 white or red onion, diced
1 chicken breast, pre-cooked & diced*
pinch of salt & fresh cracked pepper
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup macaroni noodles, pre-cooked**

*Cook your chicken breast in a 350 degree F. oven for 10-15 minutes.

**Ensure to pre-cook your noodles! Adding uncooked noodles to your soup will reduce the broth amount as well as release starches and thicken your broth. That's bad news!

1. Add everything to a soup pot and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Top with fresh chopped parsley if you'd like.

Et Voila!

Brie En Croute with Cranberry Apple Walnut Compote

Another appieI created for my Aunt's 50th birthday bash. Another appie with no photo. C'est la vie! This was another hugely successful and popular dish. My cousin remarked that it tastes like Christmas. That's always a bonus!

Cranberry Apple Walnut Compote:

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
2 apples - peeled, cored and diced
Zest of 1 small orange (or half 1 large)
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup cranberry sauce
1 tbsp agave syrup or honey
2 cinnamon stick
pinch nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. In saucepan combine cranberries, apple, orange rind and juice. Bring to boil, stirring.

2. Reduce heat to simmer; add agave syrup, cinnamon stick and nutmeg and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until cranberries have popped and apple is tender.

3. Remove from heat and stir in chopped walnuts. Let cool to room temperature. Remove cinnamon sticks.

Brie En Croute:

1 pkg frozen puff pastry, thawed and rolled out to 1/4 inch thick roundish shape
1 cup prepared Cranberry Apple Compote (more as needed)
1 medium wheel of french brie (or whatever size you need)

1. With a sharp knife, slice brie wheel in half horizontally (into two round slices, like a bagel).

2. Scoop half the Cranberry Apple Compote onto the bottom half of the brie wheel. Place the other half of the brie wheel on top and scoop more Cranberry mixture onto it.

3. Place pastry dough on a floured surface and roll to desired size and thickness.

4. Place the brie wheel in the centre of the rolled dough. Fold the dough up over the sides of the cheese, pleating the upper edges to fit snugly around the cheese. Pinch the dough together in the center to seal.

5. At this point, you can freeze your Brie En Croute for when you are ready to use it. Wrap the pastry tightly in plastic wrap and place in a zip lock bag. Freeze for up to two weeks.

6. To bake, lightly grease a cookie sheet and pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

7. Make an egg wash (1 egg beated with a bit of water) and brush the dough evenly and thoroughly with the wash.

8. Bake for 40-50 minutes until pasty is lightly browned. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

9. Transfer brie to a platter and serve with crackers or sliced baguette. Serve the remaining compote in a small dish beside the platter. Be sure to include a sharp cheese knife!

Marianne Inspired Oatmeal

Last week I tried homemade oatmeal, inspired by Marianne at French Fries to Flax Seeds. One of her breakfast staples is a bowl of oatmeal mixed with whatever she can find in her cupboard. One day it's peanut butter, bananas and dried figs and the next it's blueberries, coconut butter and cocoa nibs. The other day she used Matcha green tea powder and made green oats! I'm not quite as adventurous as Marianne and I am a traditionalist when it comes to oatmeal, so my creation isn't quite as exciting as hers, but it was easily the best darn oatmeal I have ever eaten and has become a regular in my breakfast rotation.

1/2 cup oats (I use Bob's Red Mill Extra Thick Rolled Oats).
1 tsp Apple Pie Spice (see below)
1 tbsp chopped walnuts
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup water (or any combination of milk/water to equal 3/4 cup liquid. Use only water for a vegan meal.)
1/4 cup applesauce or 1 small applesauce/fruit blend cup
1/2 cup assorted fresh or frozen berries/fruit (I've been using a mix of frozen mixed berries and fresh pomegranate seeds. Diced apple is nice too and I love it with blackberries! If using frozen berries, make sure they are thawed! Sometimes I add 1/4 cup dried cranberries as well.)

1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a microwave safe bowl.

2. Add the milk and water and stir together.

3. Microwave for 2-3 minutes, until most of liquid is absorbed. Stir well to mix.

4. Add applesauce and fruit and mix together.

*You could cook your oats on the stove top instead of the microwave. I haven't had the time or desire to do it that way yet.

Apple Pie Spice:
4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1. Mix everything together in an airtight container and use as needed.

Red Wine Sautéed Mushrooms & Spinach

I merged my Red Wine Sautéed Mushrooms recipe with 10 Cent's Mushrooms Sautéed with Red Wine and Spinach recipe to come up with the perfect side dish for roasted pork tenderloin. Major delicious.

Crab and Corn Salad on Corn Chips

Another delicious appetizer dish for which I have no accompanying photo. This was an even more popular dish than the Beef Taquito Bites, especially the next day when I took the left overs to work. It's such a fresh tasting treat and would be excellent on a hot summer day paired with a crisp, cool white.

6 6-1/2 inch corn tortillas
olive oil spray
1 brick cream cheese, softened at room temp (250g)
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin, half reserved
1 small shallot, diced fine
1 stalk celery, diced small
1 cup fresh REAL crab meat(or canned crab meat) REAL, not imitation
2 cans whole corn kernels
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Optional: diced red chili pepper, diced red or yellow bell pepper

If you have Crab Dip Mix (Epicure and Gourmet du Village make really good ones) use that instead of the seasonings (everything below lemon juice).

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Stack tortillas and trim the edges to form squares. Cut the stack into four equal pieces, making squares. Cut each square in half diagonally to form triangles.

2. Spray a large cookie sheet with olive oil spray. Arrange the tortillas on the cookie sheet. Season with a sprinkle of course salt (I used a special garlic chili salt. Delicious!). Bake in oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Do not let them over bake. Set aside to cool.

3. Mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice and seasonings. Stir in the celery, shallot, green onion, corn and crab meat. Adjust seasonings as needed. Refrigerate until ready to use.

4. To assemble, top each chip with 1 tbsp of corn and crab salad. Sprinkle some green onions on top for garnish.

Variation:

- Instead of topping the chips with the salad, use it as a dip. Put the salad in a heat proof bowl. Add some shredded jack cheese and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

- Make a crab salad sandwich! Spread it on crusty bread or stuff it in a pita. Perfect for a picnic!