Tonight’s Menu: Manicotti stuffed with three cheeses and spinach
Pasta is one of my favourite comfort foods, and it’s something I always have on hand in my cupboards, along with a variety of sauces for a quick weeknight meal. It is an excellent staple to have on hand in the pantry, and you can turn a simple noodle into a fancy dinner with just a few simple ingredients.
My three cheese manicotti with spinach is an easy recipe to prepare if you’re looking to entertain guests or just having a family dinner at home. It’s a nice change up from spaghetti and meatballs, and just as easy to make. Here’s the recipe:
12 jumbo manicotti shells
2 eggs, beaten
1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, or an equal measure of basil and oregano, if you don’t have the Italian seasoning on hand in the cupboard
1 (15oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 small package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
Cook pasta using package directions for half the time; drain, rinse and drain again. Set aside. Mix eggs, ricotta, mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, spinach and Italian seasonings in a bowl. Stuff pasta with cheese and spinach mixture and arrange in a large greased baking dish. Preheat oven to 350F. Mix tomato sauce, basil, garlic powder and remaining Parmesan. Pour sauce over stuffed pasta. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Bake the manicotti for 20 minutes, or until the sauce is nice and bubbly.
Serve with a Caesar salad, garlic bread, and a nice glass of wine.
Happy Eating!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Super Simple Breakfast For Dinner
Tonight’s Menu: Fast Man’s Pie, AKA Quiche
It’s a groaner of a title, I know, but I couldn’t resist it! It’s an early week blog entry in light of the fact that I feel terrible about not posting regularly on past Sundays. Tonight’s dinner is considered another method recipe-you have the basis, and then you can change up what you put into your quiche. This recipe couldn’t be any easier, and it’s a great way to use up any potential leftovers you have in the fridge and just aren’t quite sure what to do with them.
Fridge diving, I managed to find some red bell pepper, onion, Parmesan cheese and Italian sausage to put in our quiche. Of course, you can prepare this dish with fresh purchased ingredients and mix things up and make a ham and onion quiche, spinach mushroom and bacon quiche, or even a simple broccoli and cheddar quiche. Once you have the method down, the combinations are only limited to your imagination. Here’s the recipe:
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2lb Italian sausage, cooked and cut up into small pieces
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1 small red pepper, seeded, and diced
• 1 9 inch unbaked pie shell
• 1 dash pepper
In a medium sized bowl, toss the cheddar cheese with the flour. Add milk, eggs, Parmesan cheese and pepper; mix well. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until set. Serve with a side garden salad for a light lunch or with home fries and toast for a fancier breakfast at dinnertime.
Happy Eating!
It’s a groaner of a title, I know, but I couldn’t resist it! It’s an early week blog entry in light of the fact that I feel terrible about not posting regularly on past Sundays. Tonight’s dinner is considered another method recipe-you have the basis, and then you can change up what you put into your quiche. This recipe couldn’t be any easier, and it’s a great way to use up any potential leftovers you have in the fridge and just aren’t quite sure what to do with them.
Fridge diving, I managed to find some red bell pepper, onion, Parmesan cheese and Italian sausage to put in our quiche. Of course, you can prepare this dish with fresh purchased ingredients and mix things up and make a ham and onion quiche, spinach mushroom and bacon quiche, or even a simple broccoli and cheddar quiche. Once you have the method down, the combinations are only limited to your imagination. Here’s the recipe:
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2lb Italian sausage, cooked and cut up into small pieces
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1 small red pepper, seeded, and diced
• 1 9 inch unbaked pie shell
• 1 dash pepper
In a medium sized bowl, toss the cheddar cheese with the flour. Add milk, eggs, Parmesan cheese and pepper; mix well. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until set. Serve with a side garden salad for a light lunch or with home fries and toast for a fancier breakfast at dinnertime.
Happy Eating!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Back In The Swing Of Things With Butternut Squash Soup
Tonight’s Menu: Butternut Squash Soup With Maple Glazed Apples
Well, after a not so brief absence from my blog, I am back. Having spent the last few weeks working and uninspired, I’m settling into my new Sunday work routine and once again incorporating cooking actual meals on Sundays again, and not just throwing something together for the sake of having something to eat.
With the cool weather finally settling in, I am thoroughly enjoying every aspect about fall: changing leaves, cooler weather, fuzzy sweaters and of course, my favourite: cozy comfort food.
Today’s recipe is from my college days, when given the chance you cook in bulk and freeze it for a rainy day. Unlike my previous recipes where measuring really wasn’t a factor, this recipe is precise, using weight measurements. Break out a digital scale for this one, unless you have a handy dandy conversion chart at home to follow. I personally can’t take credit for this recipe, but I will give the chef’s at George Brown College a nod, as this was a recipe that was done for one of my practicum labs many, many moons ago. Here’s the recipe:
• 750 gm butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 150 gm onions
• 75 gm leek
• 1 stalk celery
• 80 gm carrots
• 2 cloves garlic, puree
• 2 cooking apples
• 100 gm butter
• 250 ml 35% cream
• 30 ml pure maple syrup
• 1.5 litres chicken stock
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig sage, finely chopped
• Salt, white pepper and nutmeg, to taste
In a large soup pot, sweat the onions, leeks, celery, and carrots in 60 gm butter until soft. Once soft, add the squash, garlic and ¾ of the peeled apples and continue to cook for a bit longer. Add the chicken stock, bay leaf and thyme, and bring soup to a boil, simmering until vegetables are tender. Once tender, remove bay leaf and thyme sprig, and puree the soup in a blender in batches. Once all of the soup has been pureed, place it back into the pot and bring back up to a boil, add part of the cream and adjust seasonings to taste.
For the garnish, caramelize the remaining apples with the maple syrup in a small pan, and place on top of soup.
Happy Eating!
Well, after a not so brief absence from my blog, I am back. Having spent the last few weeks working and uninspired, I’m settling into my new Sunday work routine and once again incorporating cooking actual meals on Sundays again, and not just throwing something together for the sake of having something to eat.
With the cool weather finally settling in, I am thoroughly enjoying every aspect about fall: changing leaves, cooler weather, fuzzy sweaters and of course, my favourite: cozy comfort food.
Today’s recipe is from my college days, when given the chance you cook in bulk and freeze it for a rainy day. Unlike my previous recipes where measuring really wasn’t a factor, this recipe is precise, using weight measurements. Break out a digital scale for this one, unless you have a handy dandy conversion chart at home to follow. I personally can’t take credit for this recipe, but I will give the chef’s at George Brown College a nod, as this was a recipe that was done for one of my practicum labs many, many moons ago. Here’s the recipe:
• 750 gm butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 150 gm onions
• 75 gm leek
• 1 stalk celery
• 80 gm carrots
• 2 cloves garlic, puree
• 2 cooking apples
• 100 gm butter
• 250 ml 35% cream
• 30 ml pure maple syrup
• 1.5 litres chicken stock
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig sage, finely chopped
• Salt, white pepper and nutmeg, to taste
In a large soup pot, sweat the onions, leeks, celery, and carrots in 60 gm butter until soft. Once soft, add the squash, garlic and ¾ of the peeled apples and continue to cook for a bit longer. Add the chicken stock, bay leaf and thyme, and bring soup to a boil, simmering until vegetables are tender. Once tender, remove bay leaf and thyme sprig, and puree the soup in a blender in batches. Once all of the soup has been pureed, place it back into the pot and bring back up to a boil, add part of the cream and adjust seasonings to taste.
For the garnish, caramelize the remaining apples with the maple syrup in a small pan, and place on top of soup.
Happy Eating!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Garfield Was Onto Something!
Today’s Menu: Lasagna
Call me Garfield. I absolutely love lasagna! Aside from it being so tasty, it’s also quite versatile and can be made in a number of ways, using different ingredients to suit even your pickiest eaters. From the most basic noodles, sauce and cheese, to a more sophisticated eggplant lasagna for those on low carbohydrate diets, this dish is a great one to have on hand whenever you need a tasty dish that can feed a crowd and is simple to make.
Now, I admit, I’m not a puritan when it comes to my lasagna dish, and by no means am I saying that you need to follow my recipe to a T. I consider my lasagna recipe a method more than anything else. Play around with your sauce by adding or taking away ingredients, mix up your cheeses (cottage cheese, or ricotta), and change up your noodles. This is a great chance to experiment and come up with a dish that works well for you and for whomever you may be cooking for.
The recipe that I stick with has been passed on to me by my mother, and has only been tweaked mildly with the addition of more cheese. And, once again, there’s not a lot in the way of measuring, and is all done to taste. Here’s the recipe:
For The Sauce:
• 2lbs lean ground beef
• 1lb ground Italian sausage
• 2 tbsp oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
• 1 medium sized onion, chopped fine
• Small pinch of salt, and pepper
• 1 large can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 can (680ml) tomato sauce
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried basil
For the Lasagna:
• 1 box no bake lasagna noodles (this part is important, as the noodles are not boiled before preparing. I happen to like Unico’s no boil spinach lasagna noodles)
• 2 medium sized containers cottage cheese
• ½ to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, or you can use the three cheese blends found at your grocery store
For The Sauce:
Iin a large pot (I like using my Dutch oven or pasta pot), over medium heat, add onion and garlic to the oil, and cook until soft, but no colour. Add in the ground beef, sausage salt and pepper, and cook until ground beef and sausage have browned. Once the ground beef and sausage has cooked, drain off fat and put pot back onto stove. Add in the drained tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, and basil. Stir to combine and let simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes until sauce is nice and thick.
For Lasagna:
In a glass lasagna pan that has been sprayed with Pam or other cooking spray, add 1/3 of the sauce, and top with noodles. For your second layer, add 1/3 of sauce mixture, and top with cottage cheese, and top cottage cheese with ¼ cup parmesan cheese and top with noodles. For your third layer, top with remaining sauce mixture, parmesan and cover with shredded cheese mixture. Cover with tin foil, and bake in a preheated 375F oven for one hour. (Side note: the lasagna will spill out onto your oven, so I highly recommend protecting the bottom of your oven with an oven tray protector just for easy cleanup.)
After one hour, remove tin foil and let bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is nice and bubbly. Remove from oven and let sit for about 10 minutes. Cut into equal sized pieces and serve alongside a tasty salad, and some garlic bread.
Happy Eating!
Call me Garfield. I absolutely love lasagna! Aside from it being so tasty, it’s also quite versatile and can be made in a number of ways, using different ingredients to suit even your pickiest eaters. From the most basic noodles, sauce and cheese, to a more sophisticated eggplant lasagna for those on low carbohydrate diets, this dish is a great one to have on hand whenever you need a tasty dish that can feed a crowd and is simple to make.
Now, I admit, I’m not a puritan when it comes to my lasagna dish, and by no means am I saying that you need to follow my recipe to a T. I consider my lasagna recipe a method more than anything else. Play around with your sauce by adding or taking away ingredients, mix up your cheeses (cottage cheese, or ricotta), and change up your noodles. This is a great chance to experiment and come up with a dish that works well for you and for whomever you may be cooking for.
The recipe that I stick with has been passed on to me by my mother, and has only been tweaked mildly with the addition of more cheese. And, once again, there’s not a lot in the way of measuring, and is all done to taste. Here’s the recipe:
For The Sauce:
• 2lbs lean ground beef
• 1lb ground Italian sausage
• 2 tbsp oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
• 1 medium sized onion, chopped fine
• Small pinch of salt, and pepper
• 1 large can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 can (680ml) tomato sauce
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried basil
For the Lasagna:
• 1 box no bake lasagna noodles (this part is important, as the noodles are not boiled before preparing. I happen to like Unico’s no boil spinach lasagna noodles)
• 2 medium sized containers cottage cheese
• ½ to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, or you can use the three cheese blends found at your grocery store
For The Sauce:
Iin a large pot (I like using my Dutch oven or pasta pot), over medium heat, add onion and garlic to the oil, and cook until soft, but no colour. Add in the ground beef, sausage salt and pepper, and cook until ground beef and sausage have browned. Once the ground beef and sausage has cooked, drain off fat and put pot back onto stove. Add in the drained tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, and basil. Stir to combine and let simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes until sauce is nice and thick.
For Lasagna:
In a glass lasagna pan that has been sprayed with Pam or other cooking spray, add 1/3 of the sauce, and top with noodles. For your second layer, add 1/3 of sauce mixture, and top with cottage cheese, and top cottage cheese with ¼ cup parmesan cheese and top with noodles. For your third layer, top with remaining sauce mixture, parmesan and cover with shredded cheese mixture. Cover with tin foil, and bake in a preheated 375F oven for one hour. (Side note: the lasagna will spill out onto your oven, so I highly recommend protecting the bottom of your oven with an oven tray protector just for easy cleanup.)
After one hour, remove tin foil and let bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is nice and bubbly. Remove from oven and let sit for about 10 minutes. Cut into equal sized pieces and serve alongside a tasty salad, and some garlic bread.
Happy Eating!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Mmmmm, Roast Beast-A.K.A. Pot Roast
Today’s Menu: Pot roast, mashed potatoes with gravy, steamed broccoli and cauliflower with cheese sauce and homemade buns.
I love Sunday dinner. Growing up, Sunday dinner was always something a little fancier than what we would have during the week. Monday through Saturday, dinner was always good, but it was usually something simple, like macaroni and cheese (ALWAYS Kraft Dinner), or soup and grilled cheese, both foods I enjoy to this day. But Sunday was a different story. Sunday was a day for a “proper meal” of meat, potatoes, some sort of veggie, bread with butter, and if we were good (we being myself and dad), mom would treat our sweet tooth with a pie from the market. Roast beef, pork chops, chicken and some sort of roast were always on rotation, and special occasions were usually lasagna, pot roast or Newfie dinner.
For our pot roast Sundays, I’ve got a super simple recipe that makes the best gravy for the mashed potatoes, leaves the meat fork tender, and best of all, makes for excellent sandwiches the next day. The best part of this recipe is that not a lot of work is needed to make this dinner, and most of the ingredients are probably already sitting in your cupboard right now. Here’s the recipe:
Happy Eating!
I love Sunday dinner. Growing up, Sunday dinner was always something a little fancier than what we would have during the week. Monday through Saturday, dinner was always good, but it was usually something simple, like macaroni and cheese (ALWAYS Kraft Dinner), or soup and grilled cheese, both foods I enjoy to this day. But Sunday was a different story. Sunday was a day for a “proper meal” of meat, potatoes, some sort of veggie, bread with butter, and if we were good (we being myself and dad), mom would treat our sweet tooth with a pie from the market. Roast beef, pork chops, chicken and some sort of roast were always on rotation, and special occasions were usually lasagna, pot roast or Newfie dinner.
For our pot roast Sundays, I’ve got a super simple recipe that makes the best gravy for the mashed potatoes, leaves the meat fork tender, and best of all, makes for excellent sandwiches the next day. The best part of this recipe is that not a lot of work is needed to make this dinner, and most of the ingredients are probably already sitting in your cupboard right now. Here’s the recipe:
- 4 -5 lbs chuck roast
- 2 (10 1/4 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup (if you don’t like mushroom soup, cream of celery soup works just fine).
- 1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelopes onion soup mix
- 2 medium onions, peeled and sliced thin
- Seasoning salt
- Garlic powder
- Pepper
- 1 1/2-2 cups water
Happy Eating!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Who Needs Meatloaf When You Can Have Meatballs?
Today’s Menu: Meatballs with mushroom soup sauce, served with rice, corn and peas
As a kid growing up, I’m pretty sure I gave my mom and dad a lot of grief when it came to dinnertime. I wasn’t a picky kid per se, just difficult. If dinner was something involving ground beef, I got particularly stubborn. Are hamburgers on the menu for dinner? Awesome! I loved food I could eat with my hands. Meatloaf? Not so much. To me, it just seemed odd that meat would look like a loaf of sliced bread. So, instead of meatloaf, mom made meatballs. Perfect for spaghetti, or served as a main course, this is a comfort food that I still enjoy to this day.
Typically served with mashed potatoes, gravy and a vegetable side, along with bread and butter, I’ve changed things up a bit. I prefer my meatballs topped with a mushroom soup sauce, served with rice and two vegetables. Okay, not much of a change, but a change nonetheless.
The recipe is simple, and you can adjust it to your own tastes by adding garlic, Worcestershire sauce, steak seasoning, etc. If you follow the recipe and want to preview what the final product might taste like, mix up your meat and seasonings, and then make a small little patty and fry it up so you can taste what it will be like in the end. Seasoning not quite right? Adjust and try again-just remember not to make your sample patties too big or else you’ll need some more ground beef. Here’s the recipe:
• 2lbs ground beef
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (I substituted finely crushed cracker crumbs this time)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 4 tbsp chopped onion
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Mix the ground beef, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper together. Form into extra large golf ball size meatballs, and place in a baking tray. Cook in a large skillet until inside is no longer pink (the time will vary depending on how big your meatballs are). Meanwhile, in a medium sized frying pan, sauté up chopped onion in a bit of butter and cook until soft. Add can of mushroom soup, and your Worcestershire sauce, and heat until combined. Serve meatballs on bed of rice, or alongside mashed potatoes and top with mushroom soup sauce gravy.
Happy Eating!
As a kid growing up, I’m pretty sure I gave my mom and dad a lot of grief when it came to dinnertime. I wasn’t a picky kid per se, just difficult. If dinner was something involving ground beef, I got particularly stubborn. Are hamburgers on the menu for dinner? Awesome! I loved food I could eat with my hands. Meatloaf? Not so much. To me, it just seemed odd that meat would look like a loaf of sliced bread. So, instead of meatloaf, mom made meatballs. Perfect for spaghetti, or served as a main course, this is a comfort food that I still enjoy to this day.
Typically served with mashed potatoes, gravy and a vegetable side, along with bread and butter, I’ve changed things up a bit. I prefer my meatballs topped with a mushroom soup sauce, served with rice and two vegetables. Okay, not much of a change, but a change nonetheless.
The recipe is simple, and you can adjust it to your own tastes by adding garlic, Worcestershire sauce, steak seasoning, etc. If you follow the recipe and want to preview what the final product might taste like, mix up your meat and seasonings, and then make a small little patty and fry it up so you can taste what it will be like in the end. Seasoning not quite right? Adjust and try again-just remember not to make your sample patties too big or else you’ll need some more ground beef. Here’s the recipe:
• 2lbs ground beef
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (I substituted finely crushed cracker crumbs this time)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 4 tbsp chopped onion
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Mix the ground beef, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper together. Form into extra large golf ball size meatballs, and place in a baking tray. Cook in a large skillet until inside is no longer pink (the time will vary depending on how big your meatballs are). Meanwhile, in a medium sized frying pan, sauté up chopped onion in a bit of butter and cook until soft. Add can of mushroom soup, and your Worcestershire sauce, and heat until combined. Serve meatballs on bed of rice, or alongside mashed potatoes and top with mushroom soup sauce gravy.
Happy Eating!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Perogies: College Comfort Food and a Ukrainian Staple
Today’s Menu: Perogies, College Style
Today’s dinner brings back memories of college days when perogies were a gourmet dinner and almost revered as a dinner celebration. I first experienced perogies my first year of college when the lady I was living with invited me to join her for dinner. Having never tried them before, I was more than willing to give them a try-after all, a free meal is a free meal when you’re short on cash and long on appetite! It’s quite a simple dish, nothing more than a boiled dumpling of unleavened dough, typically stuffed with a mashed potato filling. The dumpling itself is the base for the dish, and can be prepared a number of ways, ranging from the very basic salt, pepper and some butter, or topped with hot mushroom soup (condensed soup with no milk or water added, heated with a bit of garlic powder), to the more fancy version that I happen to love best-topped with bacon, onion, cheese and served with sour cream on the side.
The all mighty dumpling has its origins in Slavic cuisine, and was a staple dish for Eastern European families after World War II, and was commonly stuffed with ingredients that were available to the families at the time. Canada has the second largest market next to the United States when it comes to perogy consumption, due in part to a large eastern European population, mainly in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Admittedly, I have yet to make perogies from scratch, so I fall back on the perogies that I find in my grocers freezer. Although they are not as tasty as homemade, grocery store perogies will do in a pinch.
It’s a pretty simple recipe, and, as with a lot of my recipes, not much measuring is done. It’s pretty straightforward and not much in the way of ingredients and cookware is needed. Here’s the recipe:
• Perogies (your choice of flavouring, brand, etc)
• ½ lb bacon, cut up into small pieces (or you can use a package of real bacon bits if you don’t feel like frying up bacon or don’t have any on hand-I recommend Oscar Meyer, found in the salad toppings area of your grocery store)
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• ½ large onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Sour cream, optional
Prepare perogies according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, fry up bacon until crisp; drain bacon in paper towel (if you are using the package of real bacon bits, you can omit this step). Pour off the bacon fat from frying pan. Add butter and diced onion and fry up until onion is golden. Once onions are cooked, add back in your perogies and your bacon and toss gently to combine. Add in your cheddar cheese, and heat until cheese is melted. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream on the side.
Happy Eating!
Today’s dinner brings back memories of college days when perogies were a gourmet dinner and almost revered as a dinner celebration. I first experienced perogies my first year of college when the lady I was living with invited me to join her for dinner. Having never tried them before, I was more than willing to give them a try-after all, a free meal is a free meal when you’re short on cash and long on appetite! It’s quite a simple dish, nothing more than a boiled dumpling of unleavened dough, typically stuffed with a mashed potato filling. The dumpling itself is the base for the dish, and can be prepared a number of ways, ranging from the very basic salt, pepper and some butter, or topped with hot mushroom soup (condensed soup with no milk or water added, heated with a bit of garlic powder), to the more fancy version that I happen to love best-topped with bacon, onion, cheese and served with sour cream on the side.
The all mighty dumpling has its origins in Slavic cuisine, and was a staple dish for Eastern European families after World War II, and was commonly stuffed with ingredients that were available to the families at the time. Canada has the second largest market next to the United States when it comes to perogy consumption, due in part to a large eastern European population, mainly in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Admittedly, I have yet to make perogies from scratch, so I fall back on the perogies that I find in my grocers freezer. Although they are not as tasty as homemade, grocery store perogies will do in a pinch.
It’s a pretty simple recipe, and, as with a lot of my recipes, not much measuring is done. It’s pretty straightforward and not much in the way of ingredients and cookware is needed. Here’s the recipe:
• Perogies (your choice of flavouring, brand, etc)
• ½ lb bacon, cut up into small pieces (or you can use a package of real bacon bits if you don’t feel like frying up bacon or don’t have any on hand-I recommend Oscar Meyer, found in the salad toppings area of your grocery store)
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• ½ large onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Sour cream, optional
Prepare perogies according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, fry up bacon until crisp; drain bacon in paper towel (if you are using the package of real bacon bits, you can omit this step). Pour off the bacon fat from frying pan. Add butter and diced onion and fry up until onion is golden. Once onions are cooked, add back in your perogies and your bacon and toss gently to combine. Add in your cheddar cheese, and heat until cheese is melted. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream on the side.
Happy Eating!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Beef Stew With Dumplings-Great Comfort Food All Year Round!
Today’s Menu: Beef stew with dumplings, and homemade buns.
There’s something to be said about the simplicity of a beef stew. No fancy ingredients, easy to make, and oh so tasty. The recipe that I enjoy the most calls for no more than 8 ingredients, and very few steps to pull it all together. I prepared my stew in my slow cooker yesterday, and reheated it in my Dutch oven this afternoon. The one advantage to doing it this way is that when the stew itself cools off, all the fat floats to the surface and you can easily skim it off before reheating and serving it. Here is my basic recipe, but feel free to adjust it as you wish-more vegetables, more meat, and so on.
• 4lbs stewing beef
• 3 tbsp. flour
• Pinch salt
• Pinch pepper
• 3 tbsp. oil, for browning beef
• 8 cups beef stock (or, if you choose, you can use 2 packages of beef stew mix and 8 cups of water)
• Two large potatoes, cut into ½ inch cubes
• Two large carrots, cut into medium sized pieces
• Two stalks celery, cut into medium sized pieces
In a large zip top bag, add in flour, salt and pepper, and stewing beef. Shake bag to coat beef. In a medium sized frying pan, heat oil on medium high heat. Brown the stewing meat on both sides and place into slow cooker. Add beef stock or water and beef stew mix to slow cooker, and set on low. I let mine cook for approximately 5 hours, until the stewing beef fell apart and was fork tender. At that point, you want to add in your potatoes, carrots and celery and let simmer for another few hours, until potatoes are fork tender but not mushy. At this point, once the potatoes are cooked, you can turn off the crock pot, let it cool and put into the fridge overnight, or if you’re preparing it on the stove, you may want to thicken up the stew with some cornstarch and water (take 2 tbsp cornstarch and 1 cup of cold water and mix together-add this to the beef stew as it comes to a bubble, stirring to prevent lumps). If you’re using the slow cooker, skim off the fat, place into stock pot and reheat, adding your cornstarch mixture to thicken.
Now, the topping of the stew are the tasty dumplings. These are completely optional, but definitely make a great addition to the stew and are quite simple to make.
• 1 ½ cups flour
• ¾ tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup butter or margarine
• ¾ cup milk
Combine flour, seasonings and baking powder in mixing bowl. Cut in the margarine or butter and then mix in the milk to make soft dough. Separate into 5 to 6 pieces and place carefully into stew. After adding dumplings to stew, cover with lid and let steam for about 15 minutes. Top each bowl with a dumpling.
Happy Eating!
There’s something to be said about the simplicity of a beef stew. No fancy ingredients, easy to make, and oh so tasty. The recipe that I enjoy the most calls for no more than 8 ingredients, and very few steps to pull it all together. I prepared my stew in my slow cooker yesterday, and reheated it in my Dutch oven this afternoon. The one advantage to doing it this way is that when the stew itself cools off, all the fat floats to the surface and you can easily skim it off before reheating and serving it. Here is my basic recipe, but feel free to adjust it as you wish-more vegetables, more meat, and so on.
• 4lbs stewing beef
• 3 tbsp. flour
• Pinch salt
• Pinch pepper
• 3 tbsp. oil, for browning beef
• 8 cups beef stock (or, if you choose, you can use 2 packages of beef stew mix and 8 cups of water)
• Two large potatoes, cut into ½ inch cubes
• Two large carrots, cut into medium sized pieces
• Two stalks celery, cut into medium sized pieces
In a large zip top bag, add in flour, salt and pepper, and stewing beef. Shake bag to coat beef. In a medium sized frying pan, heat oil on medium high heat. Brown the stewing meat on both sides and place into slow cooker. Add beef stock or water and beef stew mix to slow cooker, and set on low. I let mine cook for approximately 5 hours, until the stewing beef fell apart and was fork tender. At that point, you want to add in your potatoes, carrots and celery and let simmer for another few hours, until potatoes are fork tender but not mushy. At this point, once the potatoes are cooked, you can turn off the crock pot, let it cool and put into the fridge overnight, or if you’re preparing it on the stove, you may want to thicken up the stew with some cornstarch and water (take 2 tbsp cornstarch and 1 cup of cold water and mix together-add this to the beef stew as it comes to a bubble, stirring to prevent lumps). If you’re using the slow cooker, skim off the fat, place into stock pot and reheat, adding your cornstarch mixture to thicken.
Now, the topping of the stew are the tasty dumplings. These are completely optional, but definitely make a great addition to the stew and are quite simple to make.
• 1 ½ cups flour
• ¾ tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup butter or margarine
• ¾ cup milk
Combine flour, seasonings and baking powder in mixing bowl. Cut in the margarine or butter and then mix in the milk to make soft dough. Separate into 5 to 6 pieces and place carefully into stew. After adding dumplings to stew, cover with lid and let steam for about 15 minutes. Top each bowl with a dumpling.
Happy Eating!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Inspiration Found In An Open Air Market
Today’s Menu: Maple mustard chicken with rice and peas, served with homemade cheddar jalapeno bread and zucchini loaf for dessert.
Today’s dinner was inspired by ingredients that I found when I was at the market today in St. Jacob’s. With produce being at its peak, and so many vendors selling delicious foodstuffs, it’s a great time to pick up some new things that are going to be a lot fresher than what you may find at your local grocery store, and you support the hardworking farmers of St. Jacobs, Elmira and the surrounding communities at the same time-a definite win-win arrangement all around. If you can’t make it out to this neck of the woods, definitely visit the market from afar by checking out the St. Jacobs Farmers Market website.
Now, I have made a few adjustments to the chicken recipe, but only its cooking method, the recipe remains true to its ingredients. The recipe for the chicken calls for grilling. I opted to bake my chicken in the oven at 350F for approximately 30 minutes. Here’s the recipe for the chicken. This recipe is courtesy of Lynda Ebel and was found on allrecipes.com
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 6 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients; mix well. Reserve 1/4 cup for basting; cover and refrigerate. Pour remaining marinade into a large resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container; add chicken and turn to coat. Seal or cover; refrigerate for 4-8 hours, turning occasionally. Drain and discard marinade. Grill the chicken, uncovered, over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side. Grill 6-8 minutes longer or until juices run clear, basting with the reserved marinade and turning occasionally.
For the first time on my blog, I’m making dessert. With fresh zucchini in hand, I went on the hunt for a very tasty zucchini loaf recipe and I managed to find it. It’s simple, straightforward, and I think for all of those people who think they won’t like zucchini in the form of a dessert, you’ll definitely be pleasantly surprised. This recipe is courtesy of ~Leslie~ and was found on food.com
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups shredded zucchini
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
Optional
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350F and grease two loaf pans. Mix eggs, oil and sugar and beat until creamy. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into greased loaf pans and bake for 60-70 minutes.
Happy Eating!
Today’s dinner was inspired by ingredients that I found when I was at the market today in St. Jacob’s. With produce being at its peak, and so many vendors selling delicious foodstuffs, it’s a great time to pick up some new things that are going to be a lot fresher than what you may find at your local grocery store, and you support the hardworking farmers of St. Jacobs, Elmira and the surrounding communities at the same time-a definite win-win arrangement all around. If you can’t make it out to this neck of the woods, definitely visit the market from afar by checking out the St. Jacobs Farmers Market website.
Now, I have made a few adjustments to the chicken recipe, but only its cooking method, the recipe remains true to its ingredients. The recipe for the chicken calls for grilling. I opted to bake my chicken in the oven at 350F for approximately 30 minutes. Here’s the recipe for the chicken. This recipe is courtesy of Lynda Ebel and was found on allrecipes.com
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 6 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients; mix well. Reserve 1/4 cup for basting; cover and refrigerate. Pour remaining marinade into a large resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container; add chicken and turn to coat. Seal or cover; refrigerate for 4-8 hours, turning occasionally. Drain and discard marinade. Grill the chicken, uncovered, over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side. Grill 6-8 minutes longer or until juices run clear, basting with the reserved marinade and turning occasionally.
For the first time on my blog, I’m making dessert. With fresh zucchini in hand, I went on the hunt for a very tasty zucchini loaf recipe and I managed to find it. It’s simple, straightforward, and I think for all of those people who think they won’t like zucchini in the form of a dessert, you’ll definitely be pleasantly surprised. This recipe is courtesy of ~Leslie~ and was found on food.com
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups shredded zucchini
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
Optional
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350F and grease two loaf pans. Mix eggs, oil and sugar and beat until creamy. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into greased loaf pans and bake for 60-70 minutes.
Happy Eating!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Garlic: Not Just For Scaring Off Vampires!
Today’s menu: Garlic pork roast, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, peas and homemade bread.
It’s a theme dinner today with a focus on garlic. What a wonderful little vegetable AND herb it is! Tasty no matter how you cook it-roasted, sautéed, fried, and raw, it’s definitely a nice way to add a kick of flavour to any dish. Along with it being tasty, it also boasts many health benefits as well. It’s known to help prevent heart disease, lower cholesterol, and regulate blood sugar levels.
This roast recipe, like my chili recipe, has very little in the way of measuring out ingredients. Once again, I am employing the pinch/dash method of measuring. When in doubt, always go a little light on the seasonings if you’re not too sure-you can always add some more pepper and salt later if need be. This is a pretty straightforward recipe, and it’s not too much work. Here’s how it’s done:
• 3lb pork roast-bone in or out, your preference
• 1 bulb plus 4 cloves of garlic (the bulb is roasted for the mashed potatoes)
• Seasoning salt
• Pepper
• ¾ cup water
• 2lbs potatoes
• ¼ to ½ cup milk, warmed
• Butter, to taste (for potatoes)
• Salt and pepper, to taste (for potatoes)
• 2 cups peas or vegetable of your choice for the side dish
With a pointed knife, pierce your pork roast and make small pockets for your garlic. Place thick slices of peeled garlic into the pockets of the pork roast all over. Season the roast with some seasoning salt, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Place into roasting pan with ½ cup of water, and cook in a 325 degree oven until meat thermometer inserted in center of roast reaches 160F. Transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil to rest, approximately 10 minutes.
For your roasted garlic potatoes: cut the top off of a bulb of garlic and drizzle with oil. Wrap garlic in tinfoil and roast in a 375F oven for 35 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and let cool. Boil potatoes until tender; drain. Squeeze cloves of garlic into potatoes, add butter, milk, salt and pepper and mash until smooth. Add more salt and pepper, if necessary.
Happy Eating!
It’s a theme dinner today with a focus on garlic. What a wonderful little vegetable AND herb it is! Tasty no matter how you cook it-roasted, sautéed, fried, and raw, it’s definitely a nice way to add a kick of flavour to any dish. Along with it being tasty, it also boasts many health benefits as well. It’s known to help prevent heart disease, lower cholesterol, and regulate blood sugar levels.
This roast recipe, like my chili recipe, has very little in the way of measuring out ingredients. Once again, I am employing the pinch/dash method of measuring. When in doubt, always go a little light on the seasonings if you’re not too sure-you can always add some more pepper and salt later if need be. This is a pretty straightforward recipe, and it’s not too much work. Here’s how it’s done:
• 3lb pork roast-bone in or out, your preference
• 1 bulb plus 4 cloves of garlic (the bulb is roasted for the mashed potatoes)
• Seasoning salt
• Pepper
• ¾ cup water
• 2lbs potatoes
• ¼ to ½ cup milk, warmed
• Butter, to taste (for potatoes)
• Salt and pepper, to taste (for potatoes)
• 2 cups peas or vegetable of your choice for the side dish
With a pointed knife, pierce your pork roast and make small pockets for your garlic. Place thick slices of peeled garlic into the pockets of the pork roast all over. Season the roast with some seasoning salt, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Place into roasting pan with ½ cup of water, and cook in a 325 degree oven until meat thermometer inserted in center of roast reaches 160F. Transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil to rest, approximately 10 minutes.
For your roasted garlic potatoes: cut the top off of a bulb of garlic and drizzle with oil. Wrap garlic in tinfoil and roast in a 375F oven for 35 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and let cool. Boil potatoes until tender; drain. Squeeze cloves of garlic into potatoes, add butter, milk, salt and pepper and mash until smooth. Add more salt and pepper, if necessary.
Happy Eating!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Shepherd's Pie or Cottage Pie-Whatever You Call It, I Call It Tasty!
Today’s Menu: Shepherd’s Pie and homemade Newfoundland style bread.
First off, I would like to apologize for the delay in my update. Sunday dinner ended up being hot dogs and lemonade-not quite a comfort food, but I suppose in a roundabout way, a summer comfort food.
Tonight, we are having shepherd’s pie, definitely one of my favourite and tasty economical meals that can be stretched out over several days. Now, traditionally speaking, shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb, gravy and corn, but many people use the more economical ground beef in their pie. Technically speaking, making it with ground beef, it’s called a cottage pie. I’ve had both, and if made right, both are quite tasty, but tonight, I’m going with regular ground beef instead.
Straying from my traditional shepherd’s pie (or cottage pie), I’m trying something different. I picked up a package of Club House shepherd’s pie seasoning mix with groceries a few weeks ago, so I thought this might be a good time to try a different route (that, and I’m out of mushroom soup, my traditional sauce of choice). Making a few careful substitutions, I’ve added more vegetables than traditionally found in a shepherd’s pie-besides, more vegetables is always a good thing. Frozen peas are my vegetable of choice for today, and I’m kicking it up a notch and using roasted garlic mashed potatoes, skin and all. Here’s the basic recipe for the pie:
• 1 lb ground beef (your choice of lean, medium or regular)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups vegetables (your choice)
• Seasoning packet
• 2lbs mashed potatoes
Brown up your ground beef in a large frying pan, along with your chopped onion; drain off fat and add in vegetables. Add your seasoning mix, water, and stir to combine. Bring everything to a boil, and let simmer for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Transfer everything to a casserole dish (I just used my lasagna pan, does the trick just fine), and top with your mashed potatoes. Bake the pie at 400F for 25 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown.
I like to add a bit of cheddar cheese to my potatoes for a bit of extra kick, but that’s purely optional. Serve with warm bread and a side salad (optional) for a hearty and tasty dinner.
Happy Eating!
First off, I would like to apologize for the delay in my update. Sunday dinner ended up being hot dogs and lemonade-not quite a comfort food, but I suppose in a roundabout way, a summer comfort food.
Tonight, we are having shepherd’s pie, definitely one of my favourite and tasty economical meals that can be stretched out over several days. Now, traditionally speaking, shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb, gravy and corn, but many people use the more economical ground beef in their pie. Technically speaking, making it with ground beef, it’s called a cottage pie. I’ve had both, and if made right, both are quite tasty, but tonight, I’m going with regular ground beef instead.
Straying from my traditional shepherd’s pie (or cottage pie), I’m trying something different. I picked up a package of Club House shepherd’s pie seasoning mix with groceries a few weeks ago, so I thought this might be a good time to try a different route (that, and I’m out of mushroom soup, my traditional sauce of choice). Making a few careful substitutions, I’ve added more vegetables than traditionally found in a shepherd’s pie-besides, more vegetables is always a good thing. Frozen peas are my vegetable of choice for today, and I’m kicking it up a notch and using roasted garlic mashed potatoes, skin and all. Here’s the basic recipe for the pie:
• 1 lb ground beef (your choice of lean, medium or regular)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups vegetables (your choice)
• Seasoning packet
• 2lbs mashed potatoes
Brown up your ground beef in a large frying pan, along with your chopped onion; drain off fat and add in vegetables. Add your seasoning mix, water, and stir to combine. Bring everything to a boil, and let simmer for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Transfer everything to a casserole dish (I just used my lasagna pan, does the trick just fine), and top with your mashed potatoes. Bake the pie at 400F for 25 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown.
I like to add a bit of cheddar cheese to my potatoes for a bit of extra kick, but that’s purely optional. Serve with warm bread and a side salad (optional) for a hearty and tasty dinner.
Happy Eating!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Chili and carbs: possibly the best food combination EVER!
Today’s Menu: Slow cooker chili a la Joan and Newfoundland style buns.
Like a kid on Christmas morning, I get excited about getting a new toy. For me, it’s my Hamilton Beach 3-in-One Slow Cooker that we purchased just a few days ago. Coming with 3 different sized bowls (2, 4 and 6 quart respectively), I thought that it would be a great excuse to make some chili. One of the huge bonuses about having a slow cooker is that you can prepare a nice warm meal without slaving over the stove for hours on end. With a little preparation, you can put everything in your slow cooker and set it and forget it. Now, just a warning for all chili enthusiasts: this is not a traditional chili. Traditional chili is pretty much beef and sauce. My chili (well, mom’s chili recipe with a few tweaks), is like a thick soup, but I make it like this so I can add crackers to bulk it up a bit. Admittedly, not much in the way of measuring is done with this recipe, utilizing the pinch or dash method of measuring out spices and the like. Here’s the basic recipe for the chili:
• 2lbs ground beef
• ½ lb bacon, cut up into small pieces (I used low sodium bacon in this
recipe)
• 3 medium sized cans dark kidney beans, including liquid
• 2 cans Campbell’s Tomato soup (no water added)
• 1 medium can stewed tomatoes (seasoned or unseasoned, your choice)
• 1 medium sized onion, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 medium sized green pepper
• 1/2lb mushrooms, sliced
• Chili powder, salt, and pepper, all to taste
In a medium sized frying pan, brown up your ground beef and season it with a pinch of salt, and four grinds of ground pepper. Once the ground beef has browned, drain off the grease and put into slow cooker, along with your stewed tomatoes, kidney beans, and tomato soup; brown up bacon until medium crispy; drain. Add bacon to the slow cooker. Using your tomato soup can, measure out ½ can of water and add to the slow cooker. Using a grater, shred up your peeled onion, and two cloves of garlic (this is great for people who think they hate onion or garlic-hide the evidence!). Wash and pat dry green pepper. Remove ribs and seeds from pepper and cut up into medium sized pieces. Add in chili powder until desired chili taste is reached. Set slow cooker on low, and let simmer for 4-6 hours. After about 3 hours, add in sliced mushrooms. Serve with some crackers and a freshly baked roll. Chili will taste better the next day. Be sure to refrigerate any unused portions.
Newfoundland Style Buns-after hunting down a recipe for these buns for what seemed like a year, I finally found it. Posted on a Facebook fan page showcasing the wonderful food of Newfoundland, I quickly jotted it down, and then tested it out. I was impressed! The bread that came from my oven brought me back to my childhood, where I would watch my aunt Verna and my cousin Patsy bake dozens upon dozens of loaves for their family. So tasty, and at their best when they are fresh out of the oven with a bit of butter slathered on, it’s a little slice of Newfoundland right here in Ontario. So far, from what I can tell with this recipe, there are two differences. One, the recipe that I found doesn’t require you to “proof” the yeast with sugar and warm water, you just add it into the initial flour mixture, and two, this recipe has a triple rise method: One initial rise of one hour, then a 15 minute rest and rise, followed by another one hour rest period in the loaf pan/bun tray. If you would like this recipe, send me a message with your email, and I’ll be more than happy to send it off to you. For now, take a look at the tasty goodness.
Happy eating!
Like a kid on Christmas morning, I get excited about getting a new toy. For me, it’s my Hamilton Beach 3-in-One Slow Cooker that we purchased just a few days ago. Coming with 3 different sized bowls (2, 4 and 6 quart respectively), I thought that it would be a great excuse to make some chili. One of the huge bonuses about having a slow cooker is that you can prepare a nice warm meal without slaving over the stove for hours on end. With a little preparation, you can put everything in your slow cooker and set it and forget it. Now, just a warning for all chili enthusiasts: this is not a traditional chili. Traditional chili is pretty much beef and sauce. My chili (well, mom’s chili recipe with a few tweaks), is like a thick soup, but I make it like this so I can add crackers to bulk it up a bit. Admittedly, not much in the way of measuring is done with this recipe, utilizing the pinch or dash method of measuring out spices and the like. Here’s the basic recipe for the chili:
• 2lbs ground beef
• ½ lb bacon, cut up into small pieces (I used low sodium bacon in this
recipe)
• 3 medium sized cans dark kidney beans, including liquid
• 2 cans Campbell’s Tomato soup (no water added)
• 1 medium can stewed tomatoes (seasoned or unseasoned, your choice)
• 1 medium sized onion, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 medium sized green pepper
• 1/2lb mushrooms, sliced
• Chili powder, salt, and pepper, all to taste
In a medium sized frying pan, brown up your ground beef and season it with a pinch of salt, and four grinds of ground pepper. Once the ground beef has browned, drain off the grease and put into slow cooker, along with your stewed tomatoes, kidney beans, and tomato soup; brown up bacon until medium crispy; drain. Add bacon to the slow cooker. Using your tomato soup can, measure out ½ can of water and add to the slow cooker. Using a grater, shred up your peeled onion, and two cloves of garlic (this is great for people who think they hate onion or garlic-hide the evidence!). Wash and pat dry green pepper. Remove ribs and seeds from pepper and cut up into medium sized pieces. Add in chili powder until desired chili taste is reached. Set slow cooker on low, and let simmer for 4-6 hours. After about 3 hours, add in sliced mushrooms. Serve with some crackers and a freshly baked roll. Chili will taste better the next day. Be sure to refrigerate any unused portions.
Newfoundland Style Buns-after hunting down a recipe for these buns for what seemed like a year, I finally found it. Posted on a Facebook fan page showcasing the wonderful food of Newfoundland, I quickly jotted it down, and then tested it out. I was impressed! The bread that came from my oven brought me back to my childhood, where I would watch my aunt Verna and my cousin Patsy bake dozens upon dozens of loaves for their family. So tasty, and at their best when they are fresh out of the oven with a bit of butter slathered on, it’s a little slice of Newfoundland right here in Ontario. So far, from what I can tell with this recipe, there are two differences. One, the recipe that I found doesn’t require you to “proof” the yeast with sugar and warm water, you just add it into the initial flour mixture, and two, this recipe has a triple rise method: One initial rise of one hour, then a 15 minute rest and rise, followed by another one hour rest period in the loaf pan/bun tray. If you would like this recipe, send me a message with your email, and I’ll be more than happy to send it off to you. For now, take a look at the tasty goodness.
Happy eating!
An Introduction
I love to cook. Anything from simple eggs and bacon to more extravagant dishes like Turducken (A turkey stuffed with a duck which has been stuffed with a chicken. Check out www.chefpaul.com for the recipe). Being fortunate to have grown up with two parents who cooked, I’ve been cooking since the age of 8, and helping in the kitchen since the age of 4. The food that I grew up with was simple, good comfort food. Foods ranging from from Shepherd’s pie to lasagna, to beef stew with dumplings, garlic pork roast, mom’s chilli, and dad’s favourite Newfie dinner with roast beef, gravy and all the trimmings. Armed with my culinary arts degree and some really fancy knives, and a new and spiffy Crockpot, I’m embarking on a comfort food cooking journey. I will be posting pictures, recipes and links to some of my favourite foodie websites. I hope you will join me! Any comments, suggestions, and constructive feedback is always welcome!
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