Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Friday night and no where to go!  I decided to make a big pot of spaghetti, crack open a nice bottle of Chianti, and grab a movie. This is a basic meat sauce and it really is quite delicious. Super simple and it makes enough for yummy leftovers, which in fact, the sauce tastes better after a night in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:
1lb of ground lean ground beef
2 28 oz. can whole tomatoes (squished with CLEAN hands)
1 large onion (finely chopped)
1 rib celery (finely chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
pinch dried chili peppers
1 tsp white sugar
pinch salt and pepper
any kind of pasta (I prefer traditional spaghetti) with this sauce


Method:
In a Dutch oven or medium sized saucepan, brown ground beef and drain.  Set aside.  Meanwhile, in the same pot saute the onions and celery.  Add the garlic saute for 1 minute.  Do not overcook. Add spices, tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar.  Return the ground beef back to the pot and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Boil water for the pasta and add sauce on top. Serve with grated parmesean cheese and garlic toast.

Basic Pancake Recipe

Snow Day!  Well...I will have to be out in it anyway.  Going to volunteer at Hamilton Urban Core Health Care seminar at the Sheraton this afternoon. Going to be very cold outside so I decided to whip up (since I had a little time today), some yummy and warming pancakes before I head out into the great white north!

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-2 tablespoons sugar, to taste
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
a dash of salt
2 cups milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, left sitting for five minutes (makes buttermilk)
1 egg
3 tablespoons melted butter

Method:
Mix the milk and lemon juice together and let sit for a few minutes to thicken. In the meantime, whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
Whisk the egg and the cooled melted butter. Add to the milk and lemon juice mixture. Gently mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, just until combined. Do not over mix.
Cook pancakes as you normally would, using 1/4-cup scoops of batter.
*Serve up with some sausage or bacon strips!

Delicious Beef Barley Soup

Cold days are ahead (even though it is the second day of spring), and I need some soup to warm up to. Hearty and wholesome. This is a great come home to quick fix that will stick to those ribs. Enjoy this with a movie and blanket.

  Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1-2 pounds beef bones
• salt and black pepper
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 6 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/3 cup pearl barley, rinsed
• 2 medium sized potatoes, diced in 1/4 inch cubes
• 1 cup chopped canned tomatoes
• 1/2 cup dry egg noodles
• 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

   Method
Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Sear the meat on all sides until well browned. Set the meat aside. Lower the heat to medium. Add the carrot, onion, and celery to the pan and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Return the meat to the pan with the water. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is just tender. Add the thyme, barley, potato, and tomato, continue to simmer the soup, covered, for 45 minutes.
Remove the meat from the soup; add potatoes. Cut the meat from the bone and dice. Skim any fat from the surface of the soup with a ladle or large spoon. Return the meat to the soup with the parsley. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in warm bowls.
Enjoy with crusty bread!

Cranberry and Maple Glazed Ham

Cranberry and maple syrup with Dijon mustard and brown sugar glazed ham.  Sticky and delicious! This is a simple way to add some really great flavour and texture to your ham.  Serve with fluffy mashed potatoes, sweet potato pie, or yummy scalloped potatoes.
I used home-made cranberry sauce, but feel free to use ready made from can.

***Recipe for home- made cranberry sauce follows.

Ingredients:
pre-cooked smoked ham (bone in)
2 cups cranberry sauce
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
pinch salt and pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp crushed cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp ginger

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to (375F).
2. With a sharp knife, carefully cut away the tough skin from the top side of the ham, leaving as much luscious fat as you can.
3. Score the ham in a diagonal pattern with cuts about 1 inch apart. Make sure you cut through the fat and just into the flesh.
5. Place in a roasting pan. Bake for 40 minutes.
6. Meanwhile,in medium saucepan, heat cranberries, maple syrup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, spices. Simmer stirring constantly for approximately 10 minutes or until thickened.
7. After the ham has been in for 40 minutes, pour 1/2 the glaze over the top, spreading it evenly with a pastry brush, or spoon.
8. Return to the oven, turning so the front goes to the back for another 20 minutes.
9. Smear over the remaining glaze.
10. Bake for another 20 minutes, remembering to turn again.
11. Slice. Serve hot or at room temperature.

*Homemade Cranberry sauce
3/4cup water
1 small orange, zested and juiced
2/3 cup sugar, plus more to taste
12-16 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries

Combine the water, orange zest and juice, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved.  Stir in the cranberries and bring the mixture to a boil.  Lower the heat and let simmer uncovered, about 15 minutes, until the cranberries have popped and the sauce is thickened.  Remove from heat and let cool completely. Sauce will thicken as it cools.  Store in the refrigerator and let come to room temperature before serving.

Banana Bread

Here's to your healthy snakin' cake cravings! A classic that it super simple to make.  This recipe has some sweet little chocolate chip morsels in it, but you can add just about anything you desire to switch it up from time to time.  You could add dried cranberries, raisins, currents, apples, Skor pieces, butterscotch chips or white chocolate chips. I prefer the walnuts and semi-sweet chocolate chippies! If you want a healthier version, simply add apple sauce or honey instead of white sugar


Ingredients:  
1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 stick butter, room temperature
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
3 small (about 1 cup) bananas, mashed
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips – optional
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped- optional

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
Butter and flour loaf pan. 
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape the sides. Add the eggs and milk, and beat until smooth. Scrape the sides again. On low speed, add the flour mixture and bananas alternately, beating until smooth.
Fold in the chocolate chips, if using. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Scatter the nuts on top.
Bake for 45-60 or until done. (Start checking after 45 minutes).
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes and remove to a platter to cool completely.
Slice and enjoy!

Chili con carne

Just a really drab day outside.  Too much rain and snow. This is a chilly day chili con carne recipe for you to warm up to. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 med. onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped into chunks
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped into chunks
• 1/2 roasted poblano pepper
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1 cans of whole tomatoes (squeeze w/hands)
• 1 can of kidney beans (drained)
• 1 can brown baked beans
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 4 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1tbsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp chili peppers
• 1 oz chocolate
• Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a big pot and sauté the chopped onion and celery for a couple of minutes. Add the garlic and peppers and saute for another few minutes. Remove from pot and set aside. In same pot, brown beef and pork. Strain excessive grease and add back to pot with cooked vegetables. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot. Let the dish simmer for at least 30 minutes. Serve with toast, nachos and a warm blanket.
Enjoy!