Maple Candied Walnuts

These are the yummiest nuts.  They were initially made for my spinach salad, but I also enjoy them as a nice, sweet treat!


Candied walnuts

1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
Large pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups walnut halves

 Combine first 4 ingredients in another heavy large skillet. Bring to boil, whisking. Boil 1 minute. Add walnuts; stir. Toss until syrup forms glaze on nuts, about 3 minutes. Transfer nuts to sheet of foil and quickly separate nuts with forks. Cool.

Spinach, Goat Cheese and Maple Walnut Salad

This salad is our absolute favorite!  I guarantee that you will love it too.  It is so very healthy and tastes unbelievable.  I have a recipe for the maple walnuts on this Blog for you as well.  I roasted my own sweet beets, but you can always buy them at the grocery store. Fresh organic spinach, beets, goat cheese, red onion, pear slices, and maple walnuts with a delicious raspberry vinegarette.  All of these flavors are truely a perfect and unique combination. If you are adventurous, the raspberry vinegarette would be very easy to make, but I bought mine at the grocery store, as I just did not have the time.  Heres to your health!

Ingredients:
1 small pkg plain goat cheese
1 pkg organic baby spinach
sweet beets (cubed)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 fresh sliced bartlette pears (apple or mandarine oranges slices)
maple walnuts
raspberry vinegarette

Add salad in layers in a bowl and dress with vinegarette. Enjoy!

Sweet and Spicy Barbecue sauce

I make a lot of food with barbecue sauce involved and I am not partial to all of the garbage that you get in the products at the grocery store, not to mention the prices!  This is a recipe that I have been trying to get just right for a long time now. I don't have to kill anyone for giving this recipe to you all, because it is really so very good that I am willing to share it with my friends. Chicken, brisket, chops, hamburgers, seafood anything really.  I add it to my homemade baked beans too. I hope you give it a try and it becomes your favorite BBQ sauce too!

Ingredients:

2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons light brown sugar
5 to 6 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 drops liquid smoke

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer.  Cook uncovered for 1 hour.

Pinapple Up-Side-Down Cake

Well, I was making a ham Sunday and I was thinking about what would be good for dessert. I have a very good friend coming for dinner and they have a real sweet tooth. I was at the market and came across some yummy looking fresh pineapples.  I usually will grill some pineapple with my ham, but this time I think it will be the star of dessert instead. Sooooo... I am making this delicious and light ,but still sweet enough, Pineapple upside down cake. Mmmmmm!

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
4 TBSP butter, melted
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Carmel:
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 TBSP butter
pineapple slices

1.In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour, sugar, salt,and baking powder.
2.Combine egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla in smaller bowl.
3.Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
4.In a small sauce pan, melt the other 4 TBSP butter and add brown sugar until combined well, one minute or so.
5.Grease a round 9" cake pan and add carmel sauce an d spread evenly .
6.Add the pineapple slices which ever design you prefer(keep in one layer only) , and pour batter ontop evenly.
7.Bake in center of oven for 30-35 minutes or until springs back when touched.
8.Remove from oven and carefully flip cake upside down onto serving plate.
Serve with some vanilla ice-cream.

Best Chocolate Brownies

This is my absolute favorite brownie.  If there is ever a function I go to, this is my go to recipe! You can add walnuts, marshmallows, any ole' thing you crave. I love to eat mine with a big glass of milk.

 Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups chocolate chips
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Melt butter, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat once the sugar has dissolved and add the vanilla extract and chocolate chips, reserving some of the chips for later. Begin adding the eggs one at a time. Blend in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Pour the mixture into a greased and foil lined 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 350. Remove from the oven and let the brownies rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing into squares. Enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

Not one of the most fancy meals, but this meatloaf is the bomb.  Full of flavor, not like some I have had in the past. I used my homemade chili sauce which makes it a bit tastier than mustard and ketchup used in most recipes I have seen.

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef (not cooked)
1/2 pound ground pork (not cooked)
1 carrot, diced small
1 small onion, diced small
1/2 red bell pepper, diced small
1 large garlic clove
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used panko)
1 egg
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce or 1/2 cup ketchup
pinch salt and pepper
pinch crushed chilies
dash worchestershire sauce
pinch dried oregano
8 strips good quality bacon
bbq sauce

Method:
Saute carrots, onions, red bell peppers and garlic in shallow frying pan.
In a large bowl, mix together ingredients (except bacon and BBQ sauce). Set aside.
Line a loaf pan with bacon, let hang over edges.
Add meat mixture and spread out evenly.
Fold bacon around it closing it up like a little blanket and place in a preheated 400 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes.
Remove pan from oven, drain off fat, and on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, carefully turn the meatloaf out onto the sheetpan and cover with BBQ sauce.
Return to oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
Slice and serve.

Apple and Sausage Stuffing

This is a stuffing recipe my mom would be very proud of, for sure! I have made a million and one different types of stuffings, but by far I must say ,this is the one! This went along side our Sunday roast pork loin, and what a treat.  This recipe would also go with roast chicken or turkey. The sausage I bought at the market is hand made, and it has some apples and cinnamon added to it. You could use any kind of sausage though. Easy as pie to make, try it sometime, you will not be disappointed.

Ingredients:

1/2 loaf day old French bread (cubed into 1/4 inches)

2 links Cinnamon and apple sausage (or your fav kind) (remove casing)

1 stick celery

3 green onions

small pinch garlic powder

salt and pepper

1tsp savory or poultry seasoning

1 egg 

1/4 cup milk

1/8 cup vegetable stock

handful fresh chopped parsley

Method:

1. In a saute pan, fry sausage until cooked (5-6 minutes). Remove from pan.

2. Finely chop celery, and onions.

3. Mix together egg, milk, and stock.

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs with sausage, chopped vegetables and parsley, and wet ingredients.

5. Add seasonings and get your clean hands in there!

6. Make sure all your ingredients are distributed well throughout.

7. Butter a casserole dish and place in the stuffing.

8. Cover with foil wrap and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, remove foil and continue to bake for another 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

9. Let cool for a few minutes and serve with your favorite protein.

Rosemary and Garlic Pork Loin Roast

It seems like the week-ends are the only time I have anymore to cook up some comfort in my kitchen, with all the schooling I recently took on! Hank has been craving a roast dinner and I have been dying to get back in the kitchen, (and of course eat too). This is a nothing fancy kind of meal, that satisfies the soul.I made a quick stop at the Farmers Market after school and grabbed one of Neal's finest and freshest pork loin roasts. Just a small one for the two of us and got it at an awesome price as well. It was so yummy and it really was satisfying. Now I can't wait until next week-end already! Web enjoyed it with some yummy sausage stuffing and fluffy mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:
1 2-3lb pork loin roast
3 cloves garlic (leave whole)
fresh rosemary sprigs
1 large cooking onion (yellow)
salt and pepper
2 cups vegetable stock
2 bay leaves

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1. Wash and season roast with salt and pepper.
2. Sear pork roast on all sides.
3. Chop onion and place in bottom of roasting pan.
4. Add seared pork roast on top of onions and slowly add the stock.
5. Drop in garlic, bay leaves, and rosemary sprigs.
6. Cover roast with lid or aluminum foil and cook slow for approx. 2 hours.
7. Remove roast from pan and set aside covered for 20 minutes or so (allow it to rest).
8. Slice and serve.
9. Use pan drippings to make a yummy gravy, or enjoy with some homemade apple sauce.

Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Chianti

This recipe comes from one of my favorite restaurants (La Costa) that has recently closed where I live. I know that there is still one in London and Toronto though.  I am happy that I got this recipe from the Chef before they closed the doors! This recipe is delicious and it can be made for special company or just for a quite night in. The Chianti in the sauce makes this dish. I used organic chicken breasts for maximum flavor.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts (I used organic)
1 300g container ricotta cheese (firm)
1 cup finely chopped baby spinach
1/4 cup grated parmesean cheese (not the kind in a container, use the real stuff)
pinch nutmeg
salt and pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch garlic powder
little vegetable oil for top of breasts

Chianti Sauce
1/2 cup Chianti (red wine)
1 package KNORR demi-glaze (look in gravy section of grocery store)
1 clove garlic
1 fresh sprig rosemary
1 large bay leaf


Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
1. Place chicken on a plastic cutting board.
2. Carefully slice a pocket inside of the breast. Make the incision fairly big, but do not cut all the way through. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl add ricotta cheese and chopped spinach and all the rest of the ingredients.
4. Prepare a baking sheet with some parchment paper.
5. Add 1/4 of the mixture into the cavity of the chicken breast and close it up. I placed mine seam side down on my oven tray. Finish up with the other 3 breasts.  Rub a little vegetable oil on top of the breasts. 
6. Place in oven for approximately 30 minutes. (Depending on size of chicken breasts, mine were medium sized).
7. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine demi-glaze and water (according to package). Trust me, I don't use too many packaged sauces, but this is bomb!  *Better than having to make your own veal stock!*
8. Add Chianti wine and the rest of the ingredients.
9. Bring to slow boil until thick, turn down heat to low for 2 minutes and turn off.
10. Let steep in sauce for about 1/2 hour, strain into bowl, set aside.
11. Remove chicken from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
12. Serve chicken and drizzle with Chianti.

Serves 4


 

Lasagna

One of my all time favorite foods is a good ole' homemade Lasagne. I have literally made this for hundreds of people! This recipe is quite simple and is worth all of the effort. Ooooey- goooey goodness. Your going to love it!

Lasagne

Tomato Sauce:
1pound lean ground beef
1pound ground pork
2 cans tomatoes (crush with clean hands)
1large yellow onion (diced small)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 TBSP sugar
1/2 cup water
pinch crushed chilies
pinch oregano
salt and pepper
bunch fresh basil

Bechamel Sauce:
4 TBSP butter
4 TBSP flour
2 cups milk
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
pinch nutmeg
pinch cayenne pepper

15 oven ready lasagne noodles
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesean cheese

Method:

Begin with cooking ground meats in skillet. Drain fat through strainer.  Add onions and garlic to meat mixture and continue to cook until onions become translucent. Carefully pour in crushed tomatoes and chilies. Add 1/2 cup water and sugar. Add oregano, salt and pepper. (Don't use basil yet). Allow sauce to simmer for a couple hours and add basil at the end. (I just tear it). While sauce is simmering, start the Bechamel. In medium size sauce pan, melt butter and add flour. Cook over low heat for approx. 1 min (to cook out the flour). Slowly pour in the milk and whisk constantly, until it starts to thicken.  Add bay leaves , salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. When it has cooked for a couple minutes, remove bay leaves and let cool. Whisk when ready to use, as there may be a little skin on top.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a heavy lasagne pan, add a little sauce to bottom.  Lay three noodles lengthwise (don't overlap), add some sauce, add some bechamel, add some mozzarella.  Add another layer of noodles and repeat process with the rest of the ingredients. Finish off the top with sauce and mozzarella and add the parmesean cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour, turn oven up to 400 degrees and bake for 15 more minutes uncovered. Let rest for about 30 minutes. Slice and serve with a salad and some garlic bread.

Spicy Buffalo Wings

Football night! Try whipping up a couple pounds of these babies for the gang on football Sunday. They go great with some fresh cut baked potatoe wedgies, may-be a steamy pot of chili and some chips and dips!

Ingredients:

3lbs med.sized chicken wings (rinse and dry well)
flour for dredging
pinch salt and pepper
1/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup Frank's Hot Sauce (or use your fav hot sauce)
vegetable oil for frying

Method:
1. In a deep pot, heat oil on med.high
2. Dredge dry wings in seasoned flour, shake off excess
3. Carefully place half the wings in hot oil for 12-15 minutes
4. Remove wings to a bowl lined with paper towels and add the other half of the wings
5.Combine melted butter and Frank's Hot Sauce and toss with wings
6. Serve with celery and carrot sticks
 and may-be ranch or blue cheese dip