Cooking - for a new lifestyle (Our Test Kitchen)

3 tbsp olive oil 3 large garlic cloves, minced 1 small onion, minced 1/4 tsp crushed hot red pepper 1 14-1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes, juices reserved 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tsp dried rosemary 2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or 1 16-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 4 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium canned broth 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup croutons In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic, onion and hot pepper.  Cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, the vinegar and rosemary.  Increase the heat to high and boil until juice from the tomatoes thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the chickpeas, chicken stock and salt.  Cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and smashing some of the beans with the back of a spoon.  To serve, sprinkle with the cheese and the croutons.

You'll need: 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or about 12 boneless skinless thighs (we used thighs, but I would prefer the white meat next time) 3/4 cup peanut sauce 1/2 cup salsa (I used mild because I wasn't sure how spicy it would be for our little taster, but next time I'd use medium or even hot.  This recipe is great because you can tailor it to your spice preferences) 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil Here's what you do: Preheat oven to 400F. Meanwhile, mix together peanut sauce, salsa and basil; stir to combine.  Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray (or grease with olive oil like I did).  Place chicken into pan and cover with all of the sauce.   Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes.  We served it with mashed potatoes and a salad.  The extra sauce was really good on the potatoes!! **Hubby and I both liked this dish a lot.  He went back for seconds, which is definitely a sign that it is good!

2 tsp oil 6 sausages (your favourite-Judy likes plain if she has to eat them at all) Cut the sausages in 1/2 length ways and then cut into small cubes. ***HINT: use scissors the job goes faster and smoother! Drop into hot frying pan of oil and cook covered, stirring occasionally until thoroughly cooked! Heat should be about a medium. THIS COULD BE DONE WITH CHICKEN..... Add: 1 cups chopped onion Drain off excess greas from sausages ***HINT: the bulk sausages from Fresh Co come 3 packs of 6 for $10 and they have very little grease after being cooked! Stir in apples and onions, cover agian and sweat them for 2-3 minutes. Stir and add: 2 tsp garlic (jar) or 2 cloves of fresh garlic 2 tsp curry 2 tsp pepper ***HINT: curry is not the same from the dollar store vs the bulk barn vs real curry Our family loves curry, the dollar store curry has too much salt and very little flavour. Real curry is very strong and will NOT need as much! Turn off heat and pour into crock pot. Add:

I have noticed my tastes changing in the last year. I appreciate home cooking more now than before the illness last year. I guess not being able to eat for months on end, makes you appreciate the taste of food more. I took: 6-8 large potatoes 4-6 carrots 1 small turnip Dice all veggies into large pieces and place in layers into a roaster, drizzle with oil and sprinkle (I was heavy handed) with italian seasoning. I served this with fried pork chops and apple sauce. Everyone loved it. Including a fussy little eater named Chloe. Now knowing it is better to cook once and enjoy twice, I puposely made too much! So tonight, I took those leftover potatoes and threw them in the crock pot. I added: 1 can of corn (or frozen) 1 box of beef broth 2 stalks of diced celery 1/2 onion chopped and 4 diced fast fry steaks diced and lightly browned in some of the beef broth. Add to the crock pot and heat for 2-3 hours...... Judy came back for more. "Bon appetit!"

Well, sometimes you plan a recipe and find out what you thought was caesar dressing was actually coleslaw dressing and you have to improvise. So tonight what started as chicken caesar noodles became something completely different. Take 2 white eat breaded chicken fingers per person and OVERBAKE them.....not just cook them, really get them crispy. Ok, now make a salad.....but not just a lettuce salad. Use small brocolli florets cucumber cherry tomatoes small cauliflower florets slivered/shaved carrots sunflower seeds croutons parmesan cheese green onions serve with catalina dressing Slice the chicken fingers and serve on top of the salad with garlic bread. "Bon Appetit!"

1/2 lb. ground chicken 1 egg, lightly beaten 2 tbsp dry breadcrumbs 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 tsp dried basil 1/2 tsp onion powder 5-3/4 cups chicken broth 2 cups thinly sliced escarole (I use baby spinach) 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta 1/3 cup finely chopped carrots In medium bowl, combine meat, egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, basil and onion powder; shape into 3/4 inch balls. In large saucepan, heat broth to boiling; stir in escarole, orzo pasta, chopped carrot and meatballs.  Return to boil, and then reduce heat to medium.  Cook at slow boil for 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente.  Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Serves 8.

1/2 cup jalepeno jelly (I used spicy chili thai sauce) Heat jelly on medium in a sauce pan until melted. Add: 1/4 cup frozen orange juice 1/4 cup terriyaki sauce 1 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp curry powder Remove from heat and stir well. In a rectangular greased casserole dish, place: 3 cups of cubed sweet potato 2 cups coarsely chopped onion 1 can pineapple drained (I used frozen pinapple) 1 1/2 cups diced green pepper Pour in 1/2 of the sauce mixture and stir. Using 6 chicken thighs (chicken breast or equivalent amount of any form of chicken) Place on the mixture. (I used 3 boneless chicken breasts sliced into thin strips) Baste the chicken in the remaining sauce. Bake in oven at 350 for about 1 hour. I served on jasmine rice. JUDY LOVES IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "Bon Appetit!"

I will have to guesstimate some of the quantities because I just made this recipe up out of my head and it turned out really well. 1/2 big bag of Rotini pasta, cooked, rinsed with cold water and drained In a 9" x 13 pan pour enough pasta sauce to just cover the bottom and prevent the pasta from sticking. In a frying pan on medium heat cook 2 medium diced onions, 2 stalks diced celery, 1 diced large carrot, 1 lb ground beef, 2 diced cloves of garlic and seasonings of choice.  I used Epicure foccacia seasoning.  When this mixture is cooked through add the remains of the pasta sauce you already have open and then another whole can. Now that your pasta is cooled, toss in a medium carton of ricotta cheese, 1 package of no-name frozen chopped spinach, 1 egg, salt and pepper. Put the pasta mixture into the baking pan.  Cover with the sauce mixture.  Top with grated mozzarella cheese (I used 1/2 of a big block) and a couple of handfuls of grated Parmesan. Cover with foil and

1/2 can of cherry pie filling 3 cups frozen raspberries/blackberries  (I used both) 1/4 cup brown sugar 1tsp Epicure Maple dip mix bring above to mild boil on med heat. Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan. 1 cup of sifted flour 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 tspbaking powder (I sifted it with tthe flour) 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 cup of refrigerated butter can use hard margarine Mix dry ingredients and cut in butter. (I used a pastry mixer/masher thing!) When combined, add cold milk until the mixture is moistened 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk. Drop by spoonful over berry mixture Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven. (it suggest 400 but that is really hot). Serve with whip cream, ice cream or heavy cream. Serves 6-8. Reviews were amazing. "Bon Appetit!"

1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces  I made a roast chicken a couple of days ago so I had lots of prepared meat to use 5 1/4 cups Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth (from two 32-oz cartons)  I made my own broth from the carcass of the roast chicken 2 cups water 1 medium onion, chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves  I had no thyme, fresh or dried, so I just started sniffing spices until I found one that I thought would suit the recipe.  Don't laugh.  I used a couple of spoonfuls of foccacia seasoning from Epicure 1 1/4 teaspoons salt 3/4 teaspoon pepper 1 bag (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables   I used 2 diced potatoes, 2 stalks of celery diced and 1 really large carrot diced as well as 1 cup of frozen peas 3 cups Bisquick Heart Smart® mix   I used regular Bisquick 1 cup buttermilk  I used regular milk 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning In large Dutch oven, stir together chicken, broth, water,

6 oz egg noodles, narrow 6 oz grated Swiss cheese 4-6 slices bacon 1 cup milk 2/3 cup sour cream 2 eggs 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese 1/2 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper cherry tomato and parsley for garnish, optional Cook noodles according to package directions until just tender.  Drain.  Combine noodles with Swiss cheese.  Spoon into a 1" pie plate or casserole. Cook bacon.  Drain.  Crumble.  Blend together the milk, sour cream, eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and bacon.  Pour over noodles. Bake at 375F for 40-45 minutes until set.  Garnish with cherry tomato and parsley, if desired. Serves 5-6. Variation:  Sharp cheddar cheese in place of Swiss cheese. Good served with a roast or grilled meat or as a main dish with a tossed salad and crusty French bread. I have no idea where I got this recipe from because I've had it forever . . . LOL . . . very yummy and definitely not good for you . . . as the best things usually are . . .

from soscuisine.com 2 servings Prep 10 minutes cooking 5 minutes 150 calories per serving 2 peaches, ripe, freestone type 1-1/4 cup raspberries 2 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp apple juice 2 tsp cornstarch 2 scoops vanilla ice cream Peel the peaches, split them in half, then pull apart and remove their pits.  Set aside. In a saucepan, heat the raspberries and sugar over low heat.  Cook 2-3 minutes, then mash the raspberries with a fork. In a small bowl, dilute the cornstarch with the apple juice.  Add this slurry to the warm raspberries and cook over low heat, with stirring, about 2 minutes until the mixture thickens.  Pass the thickened raspberries through a fine sieve and, using a rubber spatula, press on the raspberries to extract as much juice as possible.  Discard the seeds. Drizzle the peaches with the strained raspberry sauce and serve.  Garnish with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

from soscuisine.com 2 servings Prep time 10 minutes cooking time 1-1/2 hours 150 calories per serving 1/2 Spanish onion, cut into 2 cm pieces 1 carrot, cut into 2 cm pieces 1 zucchini, cut into 2 cm pieces 1/2 aubergines/eggplant, small, cut into 2 cm pieces 1/2 yellow or red sweet pepper, cut into 2 cm pieces 1-1/2 tbsp olive oil 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced 3/4 cup canned tomatoes (diced) salt and pepper to taste Choose a baking dish in which the vegetables will fit tightly.  Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare the vegetables.  Generously oil an oven safe dish.  Add the garlic.  Layer the vegetables in the dish with the following sequence:  onion, carrot, zucchini, aubergine, pepper, and tomatoes on top.  Drizzle with oil, then add salt and pepper to taste. Bake in the middle of the oven 1-1/2 hours, until the vegetables are soft. Serve with steamed quinoa.

from www.soscuisine.com . . . my favourite site for menus and recipes . . .  1 red onion, coarsely chopped 1 yellow or red sweet pepper, coarsely chopped 1-1/2 potatoes, peeled 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed 1-1/2 tbsp canola oil 2/3 dried chili peppers, minced  I didn't use this ingredient . . . don't want to freak Hubby out too much 1-1/4 tsp dried oregano 1 cup canned diced tomatoes 2-3/4 cups chicken broth 1-1/3 cup frozen peas 1 cup red beans (canned), rinsed and drained 1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce, to taste Didn't use this ingredient . . . see note above . . . LOL 1 avocado, cubed (optional) Didn't use this ingredient 1/4 Cheddar cheese, grated (optional) 4 corn tortillas (optional) 4 tsp fresh cilantro (optional) I could not find fresh cilantro anywhere . . . sigh . . .  salt to taste Prepare the vegetables. Heat the oil in a pot.  Saute the onion over medium heat 3-4 minutes.  Lower the head and add the peppers, garlic and salt.  Cook 10-12

from sos.cuisine.com 4 servings Prep 5 min Cooking 7 min 90 calories per serving 8 plums, red or black, firm-ripe 2 tsp sugar 1/2 cup water Briefly wash the plums.  Split them in half, then pull them apart and remove the pits.  Add them to a saucepan with the sugar and water.  Cook over medium-low heat, covered, for about 5-8 minutes, until the plums are soft. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool.  Serve with its juice either lukewarm or at room temperature. I served the compote over French vanilla ice cream.

from soscuisine.com 2 servings Preparation 15 min Cooking 3 h 380 calories per serving 1/2 onions, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 380 g blade pot roast, or rib roast, cut into large cubes 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp all purpose flour 1-1/3 cup beef broth 1-1/3 cup water 1 bay leaf 1 tsp herbes de Provence salt to taste ground pepper to taste 1-1/2 carrots, cut into large chunks 1 rutabagas or turnip, cut into large chunks 2-3/4 cups Savoy or green cabbage, cut into large chunks 4 small potatoes, whole Heat the oil in a casserole dish or dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the meat and brown thoroughly on each side until golden, 7-8 minutes, then take the meat out of the pot and set it aside. Add the onion and garlic to the pot, saute 3-4 minutes until the onion is translucent.  Stir in the flour and cook 2 min with continuous stirring.  Pour in the broth and water gradually, with stirring, then put the meat along with its juices back into the pot.  Add the

Please don't ask me where I found this recipe or why it is called what it is.  I just don't remember.  This was a family favourite when the boys were young.  Yes, back in the days when I used to bake. Enjoy! 2 cups sliced apples 1/4 cup molasses or brown sugar 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 cup butter or margarine 1/2 cup sugar 1 well beaten egg 1-1/2 cups sifted enriched flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup milk Place apples in greased baking dish.  Sprinkle with molasses or brown sugar, spices and 1/4 tsp salt.  Bake in a moderate oven 350F until apples are soft. Meanwhile prepare batter:  Cream butter.  Add sugar gradually; add egg.  Mix and sift flour, baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt.  Add alternately with milk to creamed butter mixture.  Pour over apples and continue baking.  Total baking time about 35 minutes. Serve from baking dish or turn out with apples on top.  Serve with hard sauce or cream. Serves 6.

4 tbsp oil 2 medium onions, chopped 4 stalks celery, sliced fine 6 mushrooms, sliced 1/2 cup boiling chicken stock or bean sprout liquid salt pepper 2 cups cooked chicken, cut into slivers 1 can bean sprouts, drained (save liquid) 2 tbsp cornstarch 1 tsp sugar 1/2 cup cold bean sprout liquid 2 tbsp soy sauce steamed rice Heat oil in wok or skillet over low heat.  Add onions, celery and mushrooms/  Cover and cook about 10 minutes.  Add boiling liquid, salt and pepper; simmer 5 minutes.  Add chicken and sprouts. Mix cornstarch and sugar with cold liquid.  Add soy sauce.  Add 1/2 cup hot chicken mixture and mix well; then pour back into wok. Cook stirring constantly until mixture thickens.  Serve with steamed rice. Makes 6 servings.

1-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour 1 tbsp sugar 1 tsp baking soda 1-3/4 cups nonfat or low-fat buttermilk 2 egg whites, lightly beaten 2 cups sliced bananas (about 2 medium) 1/2 cup nonfat or low-fat granola Combine the flour, sugar, and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl, and stir to mix well.  Stir in the buttermilk and egg whites.  Fold in the bananas and granola. Coat a griddle or large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and preheat over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles when it hits the heated surface. For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle and spread into a 4-inch circle.  Cook for 1-1/2 minutes or until the tops are bubbly and the edges are dry.  Turn and cook for an additional minute, or until the second side is golden brown.  As the pancakes are done, transfer them to a serving plate and keep warm in a preheated oven. Serve hot, topped with honey or maple syrup. Makes 16 pancakes.

1 lb lean ground beef 1 onion, sliced 6 large mushrooms, sliced (or use no name canned mushrooms) 1 cup chopped celery 1 10 oz can no name dark red kidney beans 1 12 oz can no name corn 1 19 oz can no name beans in tomato sauce 1 14 oz can no name tomato sauce 1 28 oz can no name tomatoes (whole, stewed, diced or whatever) 4 splashes  of no name hot sauce 12 splashes  of no name Worchestershire sauce 1 - 2 tsp (or to your taste) no name chili powder Put all ingredients in a large pot.  Cook slowly over medium or lower heat, stirring frequently for a minimum of 2 hours.  You can also cook in the oven or crock pot.  The longer it is cooked, the better it tastes. You can serve with rice and top with a daub of sour cream and grated cheese. You can use brand name products if you want to . . . LOL . . .

2 servings 1 stalk celery, finely chopped 1/2 onion, finely chopped 3/4 cup strawberries 1 cup chicken broth 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter 1 tbsp olive oil 3/4 cup arborio rice 1/3 cup white wine salt and ground pepper Finely chop the onion and celery.  Clean the strawberries, then put them in a blender, setting a few strawberries aside as a garnish.  Mix 1-2 minutes, until a red puree is obtained. Heat the broth in a small saucepan on the stove or in a microwave oven.  Keep it warm while cooking the risotto (about 20 minutes). Melt  the butter and olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan.  Saute the onion and celery 2-3 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent.  Add the rice, then cook 1-2 minutes, with constant stirring, until the rice grains are well toasted and translucent.  Stir in the strawberry puree.  Pour in the white wine. Cook the risotto, using the warmed broth until the rice is creamy but still al dente.  Remove from the heat and let stand for 2 minutes.  

2 servings 2 tomatoes 2 bocconcini or fresh mozzarella 110g 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 6 fresh basil leaves salt and pepper Cut the tomatoes into slices approximately 5mm thick and arrange them on a flat dish.  Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 15 minutes to allow excess liquids to drain off. Cut the bocconcini into slices with the same thickness as the tomatoes.  Arrange the cheese and tomato slices on a serving plate so that they alternate and overlap slightly. Garnish with small fresh basil leaves on top, drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper.  Serve. (Hal liked it once he added ranch dressing . . . LOL . . . that man puts sauce on everything!)

2 servings 2/3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into 1x5 cm strips (200g) 1-1/3 cup snow peas 1 green pepper, cut into thin strips 1 onion, coarsely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed 2 tbsp sherry (optional) 2 tbsp cornstarch 2 tbsp soy sauce, low-sodium 2 tsp sugar 4 slices of gingerroot (6g) 3 tbsp canola oil salt and ground pepper Slice the chicken breast into strips.  Mix with the soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, sugar and 2-3 slices of ginger.  Chill for at least an hour in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to the lowest setting. Prepare the vegetables.  Heat 1/2 to 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan or wok.  Add the garlic, onion and pepper, cook 2-3 minutes until they start to soften, then set aside on a warmed serving plate in the oven. Add 1/2 to 1 tbsp of oil to the frying pan.  Add some salt, and then immediately add the snow peas.  Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes since they cook very quickly.  Put the snow peas on the plate with the other veg

As usual I was bored and decided to try another recipe. These were done a few months ago and I know all the guinea pigs enjoyed them. ;) Original Temptation: Apple Crumble Cupcakes 1 1/2 cup plain flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup butter 3 eggs 3/4 cup milk 1 cup grated apple Crumble : 2 teaspoon cold butter 2 Tablespoon brown sugar 2 Tablespoon plain flour 1/2 cup oatmeal 1/4 cup chopped walnuts Icing : 4 oz. butter 3 1/2 cup icing sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla essence PLAN OF ATTACK Preheat oven to whatever works best for you (usually 180C/350F). Line cupcake pan with cases. In your electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Sift together dry ingredients - flour, spices, salt, baking powder in a small bowl. add dry ingredients alternati

Simple and lovely.  I served with whip cream for Hal and Greek yogurt for me. Serves 2. 1 peach or nectarine 1 kiwi 1 cup strawberries 1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed 2 tsp sugar Peel the fruit and cut them into bite size pieces.  Put the pieces in a salad bowl, add the lemon juice and sugar.  Toss to combine.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Toss the fruit before serving. soscuisine.com

I thought it was okay.  Hal hated it. Serves 2. 1 tbsp paprika 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground pepper 1 tbsp cornmeal 2 tilapia or turbot fillets (360 g) 1 tbsp canola oil 1 clove garlic, for pan-frying 1 tbsp butter, unsalted, for pan-frying 1/2 lemon, cut into wedges These fish fillets can be cooked either in a pan on the stove or using an outdoor grill. In a shallow bowl, stir together the paprika, oregano, cayenne, sugar, salt and ground pepper.  To obtain a crispier crust, add the cornmeal (optional). Pat the fillets dry and dredge them in the mixture, turning them to coat well.  Shake of the excess then place the fillets on an oiled, hot grill. Cook until the fish is opaque throughout and lightly blackened on the outside, 4-5 minutes on each side, turning them once. Alternatively, heat the oil in a large skillet over moderately high heat.  Thinly slice the garlic then add it to the skillet and saut

I really liked it.  Hal did not Serves 4. 1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 tsp Dijon mustard 3 tbsp. olive oil 1/3 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted Peel the leaves off the Brussels sprouts; discard the cores.  Bring a large saucepan of water to boiling.  Add sprouts; cook 20-30 minutes or until barely tender.  Drain and immediately plunge into ice water.  Drain well and dry in a salad spinner.  Transfer to a large bowl; set aside. For the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper to taste.  Gradually whisk in the oil.  Drizzle dressing over leaves to coat lightly; toss.  Add cranberries and walnuts; toss to combine.  Chill.

This is the salad I was raving about earlier this week on Facebook.  I think I will be making it quite a lot this summer.  It is easy, delicious and very refreshing.  I bet lots of different veggies could be substituted in. For 2 servings: 1 leek 1-1/2 tbsp Classic Vinaigrette 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed salt and pepper to taste 4 button (white) mushrooms, sliced 1 tomato, sliced 1 carrot, shredded Prepare the leeks:  cut off the dark green tops and discard, slice the white and pale-green parts into large chunks, then boil or steam them for about 10 minutes, until soft.  Drain the leeks and let cool a few minutes. With a serrated knife, cut each chunk of the leeks into rounds about 1 cm thick and transfer them to a bowl.  Pour in the Classic Vinaigrette (I doubled the lemon/olive oil dressing and used that instead), then season with salt and pepper.  Blend gently and set aside. In a small bowl, add the oil, lemon juice, salt and p

4 apples, Cortland or Lobo 4 tsp butter, unsalted 1 tbsp brown sugar 2 tsp raisins 1 tbsp pine nuts 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon salt, about one pinch Preheat the oven to 375F. Wash the apples.  With a corer, carve out the core and seeds from the top, paying attention not to pierce the apple completely through to the bottom.  Make a circular incision just through the skin halfway up the side to avoid bursting during cooking.  Place the apples in a shallow baking dish. In a small bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, raisins, nuts, cinnamon, and pinch of salt.  Portion out the mixture into the apples.  Add a small amount of water (about 1/2 tbsp per apple) to the bottom of the dish to start the cooking and prevent burning or sticking.  Place the dish of apples in the centre of the oven. and cook for 30 minutes. I served the apples with vanilla ice cream. From soscuisine.com

Before I post this recipe, let me just say that Hal (my hubby) hates fish.  Really really hates it.  He enjoyed this trout.  You notice I didn't say love.  Hal will never love fish, but he did like it.  I loved it.  The fish was served with steamed basmati rice and a salad. 2 trout fillets 360g -- I used rainbow trout 1/4 cup slivered almonds 1/4 cup white wine (optional) -- I used a Vidal 3 tbsp margarine salt pepper Heat the margarine in a frying pan.  Add the almonds then saute over medium heat until they are golden.  Take the almonds out of the pan and keep them warm on a small plate in the oven. Add the trout to the pan and cook over fairly high heat, 2-3 minutes on each side, starting with the skin side down.  Deglaze the pan with the wine, lower the heat and cover.  Cook 7-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets, until the trout is tender.  Check with a fork to see if it is cooked through. Take the skin off.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Cover the

I found this recipe and altered it to suit what I had in the fridge today. It was amazing. Take 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs and cut each into 3. Mine were still partially frozen when I started. Place into a large pot with 2 cups of water and 1/4lb of butter and 2 tsp garlic powder. Cook on low heat for about 20 minutes and then leave until ready to make your actual meal. We did this step at 1pm and ate at 6:30. Dice up 3 stalks of celery, 1/2 an onion (I added some fresh chives from the garden) 1 diced small green pepper and refrigerate for quick meal making later. When ready to eat, make a large pot of rice, while doing the ffollowing few steps: Bring the chicken poaching in butter to a boil again, reduce heat to medium and remove chicken. Add pre-diced veggies to butter sauce. In one cup heated milk add one package of nacho cheese sauce powder (or 1 cup cream cheese- I didn't have any) stir well and add to butter sauce. Pour in 2 cups mixed frozen veggie

2 servings 220 g chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into thin cutlets 1 egg 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated 1 tbsp bread crumbs 2/3 cup My Mother's Tomato Sauce (recipe below) 2 bocconcini/fresh mozzarella 1-1/2 tbsp canola oil salt and ground pepper to taste Spread the tomato sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Slice each breast horizontally into thin cutlets.  Flatten the cutlets between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and tenderize them using a meat pounder or rolling pin. Beat the egg in one shallow dish and combine bread crumbs and grated Parmesan in the other.  Dip one chicken cutlet at a time in the egg, let the excess egg drip off before coating the cutlet with the bread crumbs mixture.  Turn the cutlets to coat both sides. Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat.  Saute the chicken cutlets 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer to the baking dish, placing them side by side on top of the tomato sauce.  Top each c

This is one of the best grilled pork chop recipe s I've ever tried!  The mushrooms weren't too exciting though. For 2 servings 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 2 green onions/scallions, finely chopped 1-1/2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped, plus some whole leaves for garnish 2 tbsp. fish sauce (nam pla) 2-1/2 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed 1 tbsp. soy sauce, low-sodium 1 tsp sugar 1/2 tbsp. sesame seed oil 1/2 tbsp. whiskey 2 pork chops with bones or boneless 4 Portobello mushrooms 1 tbsp. canola oil 1 shallot 1/2 dried chili peppers, to taste 2 tsp. cornstarch. Finely chop the garlic, half of the scallions and half of the cilantro leaves, then put them in a shallow dish.  Pour in 1/4 of the fish sauce and 1/4 of the lime juice, the whole soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and whiskey.  Arrange the pork chops in the dish, turning them a couple times to cover well with the marinade.  Cover the dish with plastic wrap, then let marinate in the refrigerator 1-2 hours, o

For 2 servings 7 cups baby spinach (120 g) 6 button (white) mushrooms, thinly sliced 1 tbsp. lemon, freshly squeezed 1/2 orange, pressed and zested 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil salt and ground pepper to taste Prepare the spinach and put it in a large bowl.  Set aside Prepare the mushrooms by thinly slicing them and transferring them to a small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and pour in half of the lemon juice.  Set aside. Grate half of the orange to obtain the zest, then juice it.  Put the zest and juice into a small bowl.  Pour in the remaining lemon juice, mustard and oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then beat well using a fork, until the vinaigrette is emulsified.  Pour the vinaigrette over the spinach. Peel the remaining orange, cut into small pieces and add to the spinach.  Add the mushrooms and toss well.  Serve. From soscuisine.com

1/2 cup butter 1 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp baking powder Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs and 1 tsp vanilla.  Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt and baking powder.  Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.  Do not overcook. To make frosting: 3 tbsp butter, softened 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tbsp honey 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup confectioners' sugar Combine 3 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp cocoa, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla and 1 cup confectioners' sugar.  Frost brownies while they are still warm. This recipe is from allrecipes.com

I am still finding recipes from my Christmas cookie swap 2 years ago. In a large bowl, mix: 1/4 cup softened margarine 1 egg 1/3 cup Splenda for baking * 1/3 cup brown sugar Blend well and then add: 3/4 cup flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla Mix just until flour is mixed in.  Roll dough into small balls and place on lightly greased cookie sheet.  Press a chocolate rosette or Hershey's kiss or mint smoothie into centre (not all the way to the bottom) about 1/2 way.  Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight (covered if overnight).  Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes.  Makes 2 dozen small cookies. Enjoy. * may substitute 8 packets Equal sweetener.

1 lb. ground beef 3/4 c. uncooked long-grain rice 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 (28 oz) can tomato cause 1/4 c. cider vinegar 2 tbsp. brown sugar, packed 1 tbsp. dry mustard 8 cups cabbage, coarsely chopped (1/2 head) In large bowl, mix together beef,rice, onion, garlic, salt and pepper.  In small bowl, stir together tomato sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and mustard.  Layer 1/3 of the cabbage in bottom of 3-quart deep casserole.  Arrange half of the beef mixture on top.  Cover with another 1/3 of the cabbage and then add the remaining beef mixture.  Cover with remaining cabbage.  Pour tomato sauce mixture over top, but do not stir.  Casserole will be quite full.  Cover; let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.  Bake at 325 F for 2 hours, without stirring. Mom wasn't crazy about it.  I liked it quite a bit but I think next time I wouldn't use quite so much cabbage.

1 frying chicken, about 3-1/2 lbs Stuffing: 2 tbsp butter or margarine 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper 1/4 cup finely chopped celery 1 jar (2 oz) diced or sliced pimientos, drained 2 cups frozen or fresh or canned corn red pepper sauce 1/2 tsp dried thyme or sage leaves 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 to 2 tbsp soft butter or oil Remove giblets and rinse chicken.  Pat dry.  Sprinkle cavity with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt butter.  Saute the onion, green pepper and celery until softened but not browned. Stir in pimientos, corn, red pepper sauce to taste, thyme or sage, salt and pepper.  Stir.  Cook for a few minutes. Stuff chicken.  Close opening.  Turn the wings back and tie legs together, if desired. Rub chicken with butter or oil.  Sprinkle with more thyme, black pepper and red pepper sauce.  Place on a roasting rack in a shallow pan. Place in a preheated oven at 450 F.  Turn heat down to 350 F.  Roast 1-1/4 to 1-1/

olive oil cooking spray or 1 tbsp olive oil  I use olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 can (1 pound) unsalted tomatoes, crushed  the big 28 oz can 4 cups unsalted vegetable broth or water  I always use vegetable broth 2 tbsp tomato paste 3/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning 4 ounces sea shell pasta 2 cups (packed) chopped fresh spinach  I usually use a package of frozen chopped spinach 1/2 cup grated nonfat or reduced-fat Parmesan cheese Coat a 3-quart pot with cooking spray or olive oil and place over medium heat.  Add the onions, and saute for 3 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth or water, tomato paste, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning to the pot.  Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.  Add the pasta, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 8 minutes, or until the pasta is almost al dente. Add the spinach to the pot and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, or just until the pasta is al dente and the spinach is

Wonderfully delicious! My family loves Chocolate pudding so I decided to use our Magic Mix to make some pudding on the stove. I don't care what anyone says instant pudding isn't any where as good as cooked pudding. ingredients for pudding Magic Mix Chocolate Pudding 1/2 C. Sugar 1 C. Magic Mix 2-3 T. Cocoa 2 C. Water 1 t. Vanilla Combine Magic Mix, sugar and cocoa in saucepan and mix well. Add water, stir over medium heat until pudding bubbles. Add vanilla and beat. Cover and Cool. all ingredients in the pot on the stove Once you have stirred for a while... I found a wire whisk to work best for this.  Pudding is starting to thicken now that it has come to a boil.  Look at this Chocolatey Goodness! I cheated and tasted some it is so so so good! More recipes coming for the Gluten Free Magic Mix .  Happy Cooking, Annie @ It's just my life...

I wanted to make some meatballs something we haven't had in months because I used to take the lazy way out and buy them instead of making them but now due to my daughter having Celiac Disease I must make them... so I will be making them Gluten Free. And I decided to make a double batch so we could have meatballs for another day. 2 lbs Lean Ground Beef 2/3 cup Gluten Free bread crumbs (I used GF crushed Rice Krispies) 1/2 cup milk 2 tablespoons GF Soy Sauce 2 tablespoons Parsley 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 2 eggs Place all ingredients in a bowl. (I used my Kitchen Aid mixer to mix them but you can use your hands too) Form into 1 1/2 inch balls. (I used the cookie scoooper so they would all be the same size) Put in a greased baking dish. Cook at 400*F for 15 minutes. If freezeing them like I am doing let them cool completely and label before freezing. Happy Cooking, Annie @ It's just my life....

I love raspberries. Have for awhile now. Finding a recipe in the Herbal Magic book that uses raspberry jam.. it's heaven. And tastes like it too. 2tsp olive oil 1/2cup red onion, chopped 1 1/2tsp fresh thyme minced or 1/2tsp thyme, dried 1/2tsp Flavo-Magic (or Mrs. Dash's Italian seasoning I found) 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (5oz each) 8tbsp sugar free raspberry jam 2tbsp balsamic vinegar 1/4tsp black pepper Saute onions in olive oil for 5 minutes. Combine thyme and 1/4tsp of Flavo-Magic. Sprinkle over the chicken. Add chicken to the skillet. Saute for 6 minutes per side or until done. Remove chicken from the skillet, but keep warm. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add remaining Flavo-Magic, raspberry jam, balsamic vinegar and black pepper to the skillet. (I put it in the microwave for 1.5mins stirring often) Stir constantly until the jam melts. Spoon raspberry sauce over chicken.

Gluten Free Cream of Chicken Soup 1 cup Gluten Free Magic Mix 1/4 tsp. Onion Powder 3/4 cup canned Chicken Liquid (I use homemade broth) 1/4 cup canned Chicken, chopped (I usually use baked Chicken Breast) 1). Add Magic Mix, onion powder and canned chicken liquid or chicken broth to a saucepan. Mix well. (picture is blurry due to my stirring) 2). Turn heat to medium and stir constantly until the mixture thickens (does not take very long). 3). Fold in 1/4 cup chopped chicken. Substitute this recipe for one can of condensed cream of chicken soup. This recipe is posted on my personal blog as well: It's just my life..   as we are on a gluten free journey now. This recipe is tried and true. It tastes wonderful even better then canned soup if you ask me.

After hunting high and low for a condensed Cream of Chicken soup locally I decided to look for a recipe online where I could make my own and not worry about sodium and other yucky stuff in cream soups.. and make my own Gluten Free Condensed Soup. I started with a recipe for: Magic Mix 2 1/3 cups Dry Non-Instant Powdered Milk 1 cup Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour (Note you can use regular All Purpose if you don't need GF) 1 cup Butter, at room temperature 1). Combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl. (It really resembles cornmeal if you ask me) 2). Using a whisk attachment, mix ingredients together slowly at first, then gradually increase speed until incorporated. 3). Keep mix tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Here it is all jarred and ready to be stored in my fridge. I just need a label and an expiry date on it.  This recipe as well as others are also posted on my blog as we are now on this gluten free journey but I thought I would

This is a great way to make fajitas for a family without having to stand at the stove frying everything up.  You just cut everything up, throw it in a pan and plunk it in the oven for about half an hour.  We added garlic and some chipotle peppers too, to bump up the heat level.  Delicious! Oven Baked Fajitas 2 Tbs. Vegetable Oil 2 tsp each: chili powder, ground cumin 1 tsp. salt 1 lb. chicken, cut into thin strips 1 14oz. can diced tomatoes 1 medium each: green pepper, red pepper and onion, cut into thin strips (I used 2 onions) 10 flour tortillas, Preheat oben to 400. Combine oil, chili powder, cumin and salt in a 9x13 in. baking dish. Add meat, tomatoes, peppers and onion. Mix well. Bake for 30 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Serve wrapped in warm tortillas topped with sour cream and shredded cheese

3 eggs 1 cup sugar 2/3 cup canned pumpkin 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp ginger 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp salt 8 oz softened cream cheese 4 tbsp butter or margarine 1 cup powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract In a large bowl, combine eggs and sugar, beating well.  Add pumpkin, mixing until blended. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, spices and salt.  Add to egg mixture, mixing well. Spread batter into a greased and waxed paper lined 10 x 15 inch jelly-roll pan.  Bake at 375F for 15 minutes.  Remove from pan.  Cool for 15 minutes.  Place cake on clean tea towel.  Cool 10 minutes longer. From 10" side, roll cake up in towel.  Set aside. Meanwhile prepare filling.  Beat together 8 oz soft cream cheese and 4 tbsp butter or margarine.  Stir in 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract, blending until smooth. Unroll cake and place on plastic wrap.  Evenly spread filling over cake.  Roll up cake.  Cover with plas

I have always loved apples.. and apple juice.. other than that I'm usually turned off. Don't like Apple Pie or Crisp.. or really anything baked apple.. UNTIL NOW. Herbal Magic did it again. Few ingredients and a wonderful taste. 1 small apple, cut into small pieces 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 regular pita* *If you have those bite size pitas, 5 equals roughly the same amount. Microwave apple pieces for 2 to 3 minutes. Combine cinnamon and apple and fill pita with mixture. Toast in toaster oven. If you don't have a toaster oven, turn to Broil and keep an eye on them until lightly browned.

Since I am doing Herbal Magic at the moment, I have been looking over their recipes. Mum and I tried this one Sunday and even though it says it serves four we managed to get several servings from it. INGREDIENTS 2 cups tomato, diced 1 cup celery, chopped ½ cup green onion, chopped 1 cup green pepper, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced black pepper to taste cayenne pepper to taste 3 cups spinach leaves 1 cup (8 oz.) 1% cottage cheese 10 oz. tofu (medium-firm)* 8 oz. lean ground beef** ¼ cup (2 oz.)shredded mozzarella *If tofu isn't to your liking, you can replace it with another 8oz of ground beef **You can also replace the ground beef with ground chicken, though we do suggest adding some seasoning as you brown it. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brown beef in a skillet and add tomato, celery, onion, and green pepper. Season to taste with garlic, pepper, and cayenne, and let simmer. Wash spinach. Alternate layers of meat sauce, spinach, cottage cheese, and tofu. Top with cheese and bake fo

Every New Years Eve growing up had us sitting around the kitchen table with two pots of oil, one for veggies and one for meat. Table would be littered with bowls of cubes and chunks of food to be speared and fried. Tradition also had at least two bowls of this batter. 3/4 cup Flour 1/4 cup Corn Starch 1 tsp Baking Powder 2 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp Nutmeg 1/4 cup beer* 2 eggs *Beer can be whatever you have in the fridge. Mix dry ingredients together. Add eggs and beer. Beat until batter is creamy and smooth. Dip sliced franks, shrimp, beef, cubed hard cheese, pineapple and other fruit.