Category Archives: Recipes

To all, the schmooa kumpst’ s recipe I found on-line. It originally came from “Mennonite girls can cook”.  As to the swiss chard’s recipe. It’s my own twist on an ole favorite.  You can even make it a tomato base sauce or filling. It’s very playful. It reads complicated but it’s really very fast.  Other then the cooling time, it should take you no more then 30 min. to prepare.

Schmooa kumpst

Ingredients

• 6 cups chopped or shredded cabbage
• 1 cup finely chopped dried apple rings
• 10 prunes — quartered
• 1/4 cup raisins (optional)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 3 tbsp sugar (less if desired)

Method 

1. Mix fruit and cabbage in saucepan
2. Mix remaining ingredients and add to fruit and cabbage
3. Cook stirring until mixture boils
4. Remove from stove and put into slow cooker — setting on high and cook for 1 1/2 hours. (can also be simmered on stove top – stirring occasionally)
5. Serve hot immediately or refrigerate and reheat when needed.

Cabbage rolls with a twist 🙂

Ingredients

• Large to medium Swiss chard cutting stems off. (one per person, instead of cabbage.  I’ve also made this dish using eggplants.  Both really yummy!)
• I onion
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste)
• Tofu (I used a full block of the firm tofu, ground meat can be substituted)
• 6 to 7 cups of mushroom slices (lots, because I like them 🙂
• One sliced jalapeño (habanero peppers are delicious too)
• Half a log of the large goat cheese log
• Butter and olive oil
• Salt, pepper, turmeric, curry paste, herbes de Provence (to taste, I put a lot of each)
• 1 cup of liquids (I used chicken broth low sodium, but you can use whatever you have on hand, even water would work)
• Parmesan and mozzarella cheese for grilling “au gratin”
• 2 cups of béchamel sauce ( butter, flour, milk…….more cheese, I also added some apple cider since I had some….)
• I think that’s it but feel free to play with the ingredients, the spices and herbs. I’ve made this “roll” with a variety of ingredients e.g., sausage meat and/or other ground meats, kale, basil……. It’s a very playful recipe

Method 

1. Melt butter and olive oil
2. Add onions, garlic, jalapeño and cook for a few minutes
3. then add spices and mushrooms and cook a bit more
4. Add tofu and herbs
5. Stir, you may want to put lid on. Cook for 30 min or so
6. Near the end of the cooking I added the goat cheese and some chicken broth.
7. Then allow pan to cool,
8.  When cooled enough put all ingredients in cuisinart and coarsely blend/chop.
9. Begin making your rolls using swiss chard’s leaves placing each rolls in a butter/oiled baking dish
10. Spread béchamel sauce evenly over rolls
11. Sprinkle on the cheese
12. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 min, uncover and grill
13. Serve hot immediately

Frozen Lemon Puff/Soufflé
A great Make Ahead
5 eggs (separate 3 and reserve the whites)
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (175ml)
1 cup sugar (250 ml)
2 cups whipping cream
Vanilla wafers to cover the bottom and sides of pan
Dash of cream of tartar
1/4 cup icing sugar (60 l)
Whisk 2 eggs and 3 egg yolks, lemon juice and sugar together in a double boiler and cook until
thick. Stirring constantly. Cool.
Whip the whipping cream and fold into lemon mixture.
Line sides and bottom of a 9″ springform pan with vanilla biscuits.
Pour in lemon mixture.
Beat the 3 egg whites until foamy.Add the cream of tartar and icing sugar and beat until the
peaks are stiff.
Spread over the lemon mixture and broil until the egg whites are lightly browned. Watch
carefully!
Cover with foil,making sure the foil doesn’t touch the foil. Freeze for at least 8 hours.
Remove from freezer taking off foil immediately at lease 1 hour before serving.
Serves 10-12
Spicy Cheese Crackers
Yummy
Makes about 50
1/2 pound extra-sharp cheddar, coarsely grated
5 oz finely grated Parmesan cheese
11/2 cups all- purpose flour
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cut into chunks
1/2 teaspoons coleman’s mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
2 tablespoon water (may need more)
In a food processor, combine cheeses. Pulse until the cheddar is finely chopped.add flour,
butter, mustard, salt and cayenne pepper.
Pulse until the mixture looks like small pellets. Add Worchestershire sauce and iced water, then
pulse until just combined.
Pour the dough on
Not the counter, divide into 2 mounds, then use the palm of your hand to smear the mixture
across the counter several times, or until it comes quickly together
.transfer each half of the dough onto a 16 inch sheet of plastic wrap. Shape into a 12 inch
log.wrap tightly. Chill for at least 1 hour.
When ready to bake heat the oven to 325. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove
one of the cylinders, slice the dough crosswise about 1/3 inch and place on baking tray. Sprinkle
each cracker with a pinch of Parmesan. Place trays on centre rack and bake until browned.
About 30 minutes.
Transfer to rack to cool.
Cassoulet a la Food and Drink magazine
As Josee said, there are many variations of cassoulet, depending on region, even what’s in the
cupboard. This recipe uses chicken thighs to make the confit. Often it is made with duck and
you can buy duck co fit but it is expensive. I made some other variations as well.
1 lb (500 g) Great Northern white beans
8 confit chicken thighs ( recipe follows)
1 lb (550 g) fresh pork shoulder or pork loin ( used a small loin roast and cut it to size but you
can use chops)
1 lb fresh or cured garlic sausage. I used fresh chorizo from Longos
2 tbsp 30mi) olive oil preferably from the confit chicken. Wonderfully herbed.
11/3 cups small diced yellow cooking onion (2)
11/2 cups small diced celery (2 stalks)
11/2 cups finely diced carrot (2)
1tbsp minced garlic
I cup dry white wine
31/2 cups combination of stock from confit and chicken broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce or 2tbsp tomato paste I used a cup of seasoned diced tomatoes
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme 11/2 tsp dried. I used herb de province
I large bay leaf
Buttered Bread crumbs
Step 1
Chicken confit
Use thighs with bone in and skin on
Place chicken thighs snuggly, skin down in 8×8 glass baking dish.
Rub exposed flesh with a mixture of
1tsp sea salt
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried ( I used Herb de Province)
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night
Preheat oven to 200
Discard plastic wrap and pour oil over the thighs to cover
Bake for 10 to 12 hours
Separate fat from the juice. You will be using all the chicken juice. Use the fat needed in the
recipe and refrigerate the rest to use for sautéing meat Etc. Wonderfully aromatic cooking oil.
To use chicken scrape off the skin and gently remove from the bone, keeping the chicken in
large chunks.
Step 2
Place the beans in a large bowl. Generously cover water. Let soak over night. Drain and discard
water just before using.
Step 3
1.Remove and discard the skin, bones and. Clinging fat from the confit thighs. Keep the meat in
large chunks.
2. Preheat oven to 325
Cut pork into – inch cubes. Cut sausage into 1 inch lengths.
3. In a large Dutch oven that can go into the oven heat oil unroll hot and sauté the pork for 8-10
minutes. Remove and set aside.
4. Add the sausage to the fat already in the pan. Sauté 8-10 minutes. Remove and see aside
5. To the fat already in the pan add onion, celery, carrots all at once. Saute8-10 minutes, add
garlic. Sauté till fragrant. Add wine and increase heat to medium-high and boil briskly until the
wine has reduced by half.
6. Add broth and tomato sauce to the pot. Stir in beans, pork, sausage and thyme.fold in
chicken pieces. Tuck in bay leaf and heat mixture until it begins to bubble but not boil.
7. Cover and place in oven for 11/2 hours. Uncover and scatter buttered breadcrumbs overtop
and bake for another 1/2 hour.
Serve with salad and crusty bread to soak up juices.
Cassoulet will keep well when properly refrigerated for 3-4 days. Loses flavour if frozen.

Lidia Bastianich – Eggplant Parmigiana
6 servings
When I bread and fry things like these slices of eggplants, I make a little assembly line that leads from the flour to the eggs, on to the breadcrumbs and right into the pan of hot oil. Placing three rectangular cake pans side by side next to the stove works nicely-there is very little cleanup afterwards-but any container wide enough to hold several slices of eggplant at a time will work just as well. This dish can be made with roasted eggplant slices instead of breaded and fried eggplant. Although it will be good, it will not be as tasty nor will it have the texture of the fried eggplant. The roasted version is very simple: drain and rinse the eggplant as described above, but instead of coating the eggplant slices, toss them with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Brush a baking sheet with olive oil, and set the eggplant slices side by side on the baking sheet. Bake them in a 450 degrees F preheated oven for 20 minutes till they are golden brown. Let them cool and proceed to layer and bake the ingredients as below

3 medium eggplants, (about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds total)
1 tablespoon sea salt, or kosher salt
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
all-purpose flour, for dredging
2 cups plain breadcrumbs
freshly ground pepper
½ cup vegetable oil, or as needed
½ cup olive oil, or as needed
Tomato sauce
2 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese or imported Fontina cheese, cut into slices 1/3-inch thick
12 fresh basil leaves

Trim the stems and ends from the eggplants. Remove strips of peel about 1-inch wide from the eggplants, leaving about half the peel intact. Cut the eggplant lengthwise into1/2-inch thick slices and place them in a colander. Sprinkle with the coarse salt and let drain for 1 hour. Rinse the eggplant under cool running water, drain thoroughly and pat dry.

Whisk the eggs and 1 teaspoon salt together in a 13 x 9 inch baking pan or wide, shallow bowl. Spread the flour and breadcrumbs in an even layer in two separate wide, shallow bowls or over sheets of wax paper. Dredge the eggplant slices in flour, shaking off the excess. Dip the floured eggplant into the egg mixture, turning well to coat both sides evenly. Let excess egg drip back into the pan, then lay the eggplant in the pan of breadcrumbs. Turn to coat both sides well with breadcrumbs, pressing with your hands until the breadcrumbs adhere well to the eggplant.

Pour 1/2 cup each of the olive and vegetable oils into a medium skillet. Heat over medium-high heat until a corner of one of the eggplant slices gives off a lively sizzle when dipped into the oil. Add as many of the eggplant slices as fit without touching and cook, turning once, until well browned on both sides, about 6 minutes. Remove the eggplant to a baking pan lined with paper towel and repeat with the remaining eggplant slices. Adjust the heat as the eggplant cooks to prevent the bits of coating that fall off the eggplant slices from burning. Add oil to the pan as necessary during cooking to keep the level more or less the same.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat the tomato sauce to simmering, if necessary, in a small saucepan over medium heat. Ladle enough sauce into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish to cover the bottom. Sprinkle with an even layer of grated cheese and top with a layer of fried eggplant, pressing it down gently. Tear a few leaves of basil over the eggplant and ladle about 3/4 cup of the sauce to coat the top evenly. Sprinkle an even layer of grated cheese over the sauce and top with a layer of mozzarella or Fontina, using about one-third of the cheese. Repeat the layering as described above two more times, ending with a top layer of cheese that leaves a border of about one inch around the edges of the baking dish. Drizzle sauce around the border of the baking dish and sprinkle the top layer with the remaining grated cheese. Finish with a few decorative streaks or rounds of tomato sauce. Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil and poke several holes in the foil with the tip of a knife. Bake 30 minutes.

Uncover and continue baking until the top layer of cheese is golden in spots, about 15 minutes. Let rest 10 to 20 minutes, then cut into squares and serve.

From http://rollingspoon.com/eat-to-the-beat-jann-ardens-moms-meatloaf/

I’ve always liked Jann Arden – even more so since meeting her in person last summer to do a grilling segment for CBC radio – but a recent conversation we had about food made me love her even more. She’s not just good humour and an awesome set of pipes – she knows how to enjoy a good meal. “Food is one of the greatest things about being a human being,” she told me.

As we chatted on the phone, Jann was sipping a kale-ginger-spinach-mint-apple-cucumber something or other, appreciative of the fact that eating properly is important. But she also appreciates eating well, and open-mindedly; she believes in trying new things, even if it’s, as she put it, pickled jellied lamb heart, or a cockle. (“Try a damn cockle!” Love her.) Perhaps Jann’s gastro-inquisitiveness was part of the reason she was asked to be a celebrity guest judge on last season’s Top Chef Canada, an experience that required her to down two five-course meals within a 5-hour period. (A task she was up for.)

As a kid, Jann was (not happily) one of the CrockPot generation – with two working parents, dinner was put in the slow cooker before work and school, and at 6pm most evenings would emerge the same colour as the previous night’s meal. “The colour was indescribable,” she reminisced. They’d always have plenty of potatoes or rice to make it go down easier.

Those who lived in Calgary a decade or so ago may remember the Arden Diner on 17th Ave, a small, cozy diner Jann owned with her younger brother, Patrick. Their Mom’s meatloaf was one of the most popular menu items – it’s something she made really well, and Jann continues to make, although now she uses lean turkey in place of the beef. I asked if she’d consider opening another restaurant – “never say never,” she replied, although she seems satisfied with just taking in the constant stream of new restaurants popping up in YYC. “Calgary has a ferocious restaurant scene,” she says, “comparable with cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.”

Besides, she loves to cook at home, when she has the chance – on the road 225 days a year, when she’s back home in Springbank, where she lives on 14 acres, she cooks for family and friends, and bakes for whomever comes to visit. And yes, she makes meatloaf.

Of course, the best reason to make meatloaf is for the leftovers – this recipe produces two meaty loaves, so you don’t have to worry about holding back on dinner – #1 can be served with mashed potatoes while #2 lies in wait in the fridge for the next day’s lunch.

To make grilled meatloaf sandwiches, place a thin slice of Havarti or aged cheddar on a piece of bread, top with a slice of meatloaf, another slice of Havarti and another slice of bread, and cook in a generous drizzle of olive oil in a hot pan (or in a preheated panini grill) until the cheese is melted and the bread is crisp. Seriously – it’s two comfort foods in one.

Jann Arden’s Mom’s Meatloaf

Adapted from a recipe previously published in Chatelaine.

2.5 kg lean ground beef or ground turkey (or a combination)
4 large eggs
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup HP sauce or bottled barbecue sauce
2 Tbsp. Montreal steak spice
1/2 cup oatmeal
4-5 garlic cloves, crushed

Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix all ingredients together and pack tightly into 2 loaf pans lined with parchment paper. Cover with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 425F and cook for another 20-25 minutes. Let rest a few minutes before slicing and serving. Makes 2 meatloaves.

http://rollingspoon.com/eat-to-the-beat-jann-ardens-moms-meatloaf/

Jeanne’s Comments:
Garlic Mashed (just what you’d expect)
Yukon gold potatoes
Lots of garlic (I might roast the garlic next time)
Lots of butter
Some milk
My great aunt Edith’s potato masher and some elbow grease

I used a slow cooker on high for 4-5 hours for the lamb, I did the vegetables in advance and re-heated and I had my very patient husband make the cucumber salad (and we used just regular yogurt)

Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Honey and Apricots
Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2005

Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Honey and Apricots
Total Time:
12 hr 10 min
Prep:
50 min
Inactive:
8 hr 35 min
Cook:
2 hr 45 min
Yield:4 to 6 servings
Level:Intermediate
Ingredients

2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups diced onions
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chicken broth
8 threads Spanish saffron, crushed
16 fresh cilantro sprigs, tied together with a cotton string
1 cup dried, pitted apricots
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish
Moroccan Vegetable Couscous, recipe follows
Moroccan Yogurt with Preserved Lemon Dip, recipe follows
Moroccan Vegetable Couscous:
1 red bell pepper, halved
1 red onion, peeled and quartered
6 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound fine-grain couscous, (dried but not processed)
2 small carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
1/4 pound cauliflower florets, cut into quarters
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes and their juices
1 (16-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed well
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Moroccan Yogurt with Preserved Lemon Dip:
1 cup yogurt
1 cup sliced cucumber
1/4 cup mint, chopped
3 tablespoons preserved lemon, minced, skin only
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions

Cut lamb into 1 1/2-inch cubes and place in a medium-sized bowl. Season the lamb with turmeric, ginger and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Heat a tagine or Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and half of the seasoned lamb. Cook the lamb until browned on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the lamb from the pan and set aside. Repeat with remaining oil and lamb.

Return the seared lamb to the pan and add the diced onions. Cook, stirring to get the browned bits off the bottom of the pan, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, saffron, and cilantro bundle and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender.

Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the apricots and raisins and let sit for 20 minutes. Strain and set the fruit aside.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat, place it on a clean plate, and keep warm. Bring the remaining liquid in the pan to a simmer. Add the sliced onions, apricots, raisins, honey, cinnamon, ground pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Return the liquid to a simmer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until mixture is slightly thickened. Add the cooked lamb back into the sauce and cook to heat through, about 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs. Serve with Moroccan Vegetable Couscous and Moroccan Yogurt with Preserved Lemon Dip.

Moroccan Vegetable Couscous:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the red pepper halves and onion quarters with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium bowl. Arrange pepper and onion, cut sides down, on a small baking sheet, drizzling any remaining olive oil onto the baking sheet as well. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the skin is browned and bubbly. Peel, seed, and dice the red bell pepper and dice the onion. Set aside.

Rinse the couscous in a fine-meshed strainer under cold running water until completely soaked. Drain and place in a medium bowl. Allow couscous to stand and swell for 5 minutes.

Arrange a vegetable steamer or other steamer insert with small holes in a large stockpot with water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the steamer. Bring the water to a boil and add the couscous to the vegetable steamer. Cover tightly and steam for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tender and fluffy. Remove from the steamer, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and fluff with a fork. Cover to keep warm and set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cauliflower, and cook until lightly brown and softened, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, zucchini, tomatoes and juices, garbanzo beans, chopped red onion and bell pepper, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Adjust the seasonings with the salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley, and cover to keep warm.

In a small skillet heat the butter over medium heat. When foamy, add the almonds and cook until toasted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Arrange the couscous on a large serving platter and top with the vegetable mixture, tossing gently. Sprinkle toasted almonds over the top and serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

Moroccan Yogurt with Preserved Lemon Dip:
Put the yogurt in a cheesecloth lined strainer over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight to drain.

Put the drained yogurt in a medium bowl and stir in the cucumber, mint, and lemon. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/moroccan-lamb-tagine-with-honey-and-apricots-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Posted with Blogsy

I need to post this recipe so the rest of you can taste them – I think I ate all of them 🙂

Posted with Blogsy

Original recipe makes 56 pralines nonstick cooking spray 2 cups white sugar 2 cups light corn syrup 1 pound butter 2 cups heavy cream 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 8 cups pecans – I used 6 because that is what I had Directions Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil. Coat with nonstick cooking spray. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and corn syrup. Heat to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Remove from heat, and stir in butter until melted. Gradually stir in cream. Return to heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until temperature reaches 242 degrees F (116 degrees C). Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla and pecans. Drop by spoonful onto prepared pans. Cool completely, then wrap with plastic.

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