Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Bowl

We had some pretty miserable weather yesterday but today the sun is shining for the trick-or-treaters!
And tomorrow you can cook up those jack-o-lanterns for pumpkin purée.

1 serving size cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup pumpkin purée
1 - 1  1/2 tsp honey
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp allspice

Whirl everything together in a blender and add your favourite toppings.

I've got strawberry, pineapple, walnuts, oats, flax and those little jewels are yellow pomegranate seeds!

Happy Halloween 🎃

French Onion Soup

It's cold and windy today... a French Onion Soup kinda day!

1  1/2 cups thinly sliced onion
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsps flour
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp minced garlic
4 cups beef broth
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup white wine
1  1/2 cups shredded Gruyère or Gouda cheese
holland rusk or croutons

Melt butter in a large dutch oven and add onions. Heat on medium low and cook about 50 minutes.

Add garlic for the last minute.

Mix salt, sugar, pepper, flour and thyme together and stir into the onions, cooking for 3-5 minutes.

Add broth, worcestershire and white wine, whisking to avoid lumps. Cover and simmer 25 minutes.

Fill onion soup bowls with soup leaving about 1". Top with holland rusk or croutons and shredded cheese. Give them each a grind or two of black pepper.

Broil 2-4 minutes to nicely brown the cheese.

Serves 4

Pineapple Upside Down Minis

If you feel like Pineapple Upside Down Cake but don't have the time, these little minis take a third of the time to bake and taste just as good! And you take care of that craving!

4 tbsps butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
A couple of fresh pinepple slices
Maraschino cherries

Cake:
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
4 tbsps juice (pineapple or apple)
2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt

Measure the brown sugar out and top with 4 tbsps of butter. Microwave on high 30 seconds then stir together. Pour into muffin tins, approximately 1 tbsp in each. No need to grease pan.

Place pieces of pineapple and maraschinos on top.

Mix cake batter ingredients together and pour over fruit, again about 1 tbsp of batter each.

Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Done when a cake tester comes out clean.

Once you take them out of the oven run a knife around the edges immediately so the sugar doesn't have time to set, then place a baking pan or griddle on top and flip the pan upside down.

Super easy!

And that leftover pineapple?  Give this Thai Pineapple Chicken and Rice and try.
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2017/10/thai-pineapple-chicken-and-rice.html

Thai Pineapple Chicken and Rice

No need for takeout. Seriously.

2 boneless chicken breasts, cut in 1 - 1 1/2" cubes
2 tbsps coconut oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp mild curry
1  1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
1 large red pepper, diced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsps minced garlic
1/3 cup peanuts
2 or 3 tbsps shredded coconut
3 cups cooked and chilled jasmine rice
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp sriracha sauce
1 tsp sweet chili sauce
1 tsp lime juice

Have the rice previously cooked and chilled.

Heat coconut oil in a skillet and add chicken that has been seasoned with salt, pepper and curry. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink and just slightly golden, about 3-5 minutes. Remove to a plate.

Add pineapple, red pepper and onion to the skillet and cook on medium-high 3-5 minutes. Toss in garlic, peanuts and coconut for 1 minute then add the rice. 

Stir soya, sriracha, sweet chili sauce and lime juice together and add to the pan along with the chicken. Once it's heated through it's ready to serve.

Serves 4

Leftover pineapple?  How about Pineapple Upside Down Minis?
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2017/10/pineapple-upside-down-minis.html

Pickled Beets

Sometimes the only way to get people to eat beets is to pickle them!

10 lbs beets

3 cups vinegar

2 cups brown sugar

20 whole cloves

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Keep the stem and root ends of the beets intact, do not peel yet! Wash, then sort by size and place in salted water, enough to cover. Cook in boiling water until tender. Small beets 15-20 minutes, medium 20-30 and large could take up to an hour.

Once cooked drain and drop into cold water for 1 minute. Use your (gloved) hands to rub the peels off. Some areas may be a little stubborn and you'll have to use a knife but generally the peels will slip right off.

Now slice the beets and pack into sterilized jars.

Combine the vinegar, brown sugar, cloves, salt and pepper in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil then pour over the beets to cover.

Before sealing ensure that there are no air bubbles in the jars. If you see one just slide a skewer down inside the jar to remove it. Now you can place the lids on. 

There is no need to process these pickles just make sure the next day that all are sealed. The original recipe came from Five Roses - A Guide to Good Cooking first published in 1913 and my famiy has been making these pickled beets for generations.

Good Old Fashioned Cabbage Rolls

If you need some fall comfort food this is it...

1 head cabbage
1 lb minced meat (beef, pork and/or veal)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup cooked rice
2 eggs, beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsps paprika
1  1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3  1/2 cups tomato sauce

Place the cabbage in a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil then simmer 8-10 minutes. Remove and drain. Cool until you can handle it. Remove leaves and spread out on work surface. Cool completely.

Combine all the ingredients except the tomato sauce and fill each leaf. I like to use the trio of meat, but most recipes will tell you to use pork and beef. To roll, tuck the sides over and roll away from you keeping the sides tucked in. Secure with a toothpick.

Cover bottom of casserole dish with a little tomato sauce and top with cabbage rolls. Cover with the remaining sauce.

Cover and bake at 375 F for 1 hour.

Serves 6-8

Homemade Turkey Egg Rolls

With Canadian Thanksgiving behind me, and all those turkey leftovers ahead of me, I thought it would be a good idea to make some eggrolls.

Yield: 20 large and 24 medium egg rolls

8 cups shredded cabbage
1  1/2 cups shredded carrot
1 cup shredded celery
1 cup shredded onion
2 cups cooked turkey (or chicken)
3 tbsps soya sauce
2 tsps sesame oil
3 tsps fresh minced ginger
2 tbsps fresh minced garlic
1 tbsps rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsps salt
2 tsps black pepper
2 tsps onion powder
2 tbsps hoisin sauce
vegetable oil for frying

Mix all the shredded vegetables together in a large wok or frying pan and cook 1 minute. Mix soya sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper together and add to the wok.  Cook 1 more minute then spoon the veggies into a colander standing in a large bowl. Don't let it sit long once it's all in the colander you just want the excess liquid removed. If you remove too much your egg rolls will be dry. Reserve the liquid then put the veggies back in the bowl. Add the turkey, onion powder and hoisin sauce. 

Now you're ready to roll! Lay a couple of egg roll wrappers out on your working surface and fill.  I used 2 heaping tbsps for my large egg rolls and just 2 scant tbsps for the medium ones. Keep a bowl of water handy and with your finger just moisten the edges of the wrapper.  Fold a long side up to the middle and the other long side over. Press gently.  Press the sides together starting where the filling is and pressing outwards so as to remove excess air. Press the edges together firmly. 

(You may want to skip ahead to the frying instructions and make one to try.  You can see if you want to add more seasonings or a little of the reserved liquid to the mix.)

Place folded egg rolls on a platter or baking sheet keeping them covered with a dishtowel so they don't dry out. You should also keep the opened package of wrappers covered while you work.  If the wrappers dry they won't seal well.

Now for the fun part *sarcasm. (I don't like deep frying, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do!)

Heat about 1-2" of vegetable oil in a fryer to 375 - 400 F.  Carefully place egg rolls in the hot oil. Don't pack your fryer. Mine's a small one so only two at a time.  Cook 3 minutes per side then remove to a paper towel lined baking sheet.

As you can see, these are not super golden as I planned to freeze some.  When they are re-heated they will brown more.

So like I said, I froze these in a single layer in ziplok baggies. To use, bake from frozen in a 425 F oven for 15-20 minutes if you're not eating them right away. And don't forget to serve with plum sauce.

Spaghetti (Squash) and Meatballs

So my husband sits down to dinner and says "I'm not too hungry, I don't think I will eat much". Translation: I don't like the look of this and I need an out!

He ate every last bite!

1  1/2 lb spaghetti squash
3/4 - 1 cup spaghetti sauce
12 cooked mini meatballs, halved
1  1/2 cups shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
parmesan

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.

To cook, lay the cut side down on a microwave safe plate. Microwave on high for 8-10 minutes, then cook the other half.  Not sure how much time would be required to microwave both halves together.

With a fork, gently pull the cooked squash away from the peel leaving the shell intact.

In a bowl mix the "spaghetti", sauce, meatball halves and 1 cup of cheese together. Fill the shells with this mixture and top with the remaining shredded cheese and sprinkle with parmesan.

Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.

Serves 2

Lightly Glazed Carrots

Carrots are naturally sweet and this light glaze just enhances that.

1  1/2 lbs carrots, sliced
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 - 1 tsp salt (depending on sodium content of the broth)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsps butter
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp thyme
black pepper to taste

In a saucepan bring carrots, broth, salt and brown sugar to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered 5-10 minutes until tender. Remove the carrots from the broth.

In a large skillet add the butter, lemon juice, thyme and pepper and stir in the carrots. Add ladlefuls of broth to the pan to deglaze only adding more broth when the carrots have absorbed what is in the pan, much like making risotto. 

Serve with an extra squeeze of lemon.

Serves 8

Gin and Tonic Pickles

Alcoholic pickles? O.K.!
Serve as a pickle or as a garnish for your next G and T!

6 mini cucumbers
1 lime
1/2 cup gin
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tsps sugar
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1/2 cup tonic water (or a little more)

Wash cucs and cut into spears. Pack into 2 - 500 ml sterilized jars. Slide a slice of lime down the side. I got carried away with how pretty the lime slices looked in the jar and put more than a slice.  Makes the pickles way too tart!  Stick to 1 slice per jar!

Shake gin, lime juice, sugar and sea salt together and divide and pour evenly over the cucs. Top each jar off with tonic water to fully submerge the cucs.

Cap and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.

Or process for 5 minutes in a hot water bath so you can keep them in your pantry, but the pickles might be a bit limp. 
And nobody likes a limp pickle!

Original recipe:
http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a54828/gin-and-tonic-pickles-recipe/

Mediterranean Chicken

Easy to prepare, quick to cook and lots of flavour!

2 tbsps olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced or sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1  1/2 cups diced eggplant
zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp capers, with some brine
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 tsp dry oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chicken broth

Heat oil in a skillet and add onion, stirring until just lightly golden. Add chicken, salt, pepper and oregano and cook until chicken is no longer pink.

Add garlic and eggplant for 2-3 minutes.
Finally add the yellow pepper, celery, capers, lemon juice and zest. Simmer uncovered adding the broth in 1/3 cup increments, deglazing as you go for 5-10 minutes.

Serve over rice

Makes 2-3 servings

Egg-free Homemade Chocolate Pudding

Eating this pudding brings me right back to my Nana's kitchen. She probably made other desserts, but I can still remember this pudding cooling on her counter 💖

6 tbsps cornstarch
6 tbsps cocoa
3 cups milk
6 tbsps sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsps butter
1  1/2 tsps vanilla

Start warming 2 cups of the milk.

Meanwhile whisk together the cornstarch, cocoa, sugar and salt and stir into the remaining 1 cup of milk.

Reduce heat on 2 cups of milk and stir in the cocoa milk. Continue whisking on simmer for 5-10 minutes until the pudding starts to bubble and thicken.

Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.

Pour into serving bowls and cover lightly with a sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap to prevent the top from forming a skin. Or if you're like me don't cover it, I like the skin!

If you're going to eat it in a couple of hours you can leave it on the counter like Nana did. If not, refrigerate.

Makes 6-8 servings