Carrot and Raisin Tea Bread

Tea bread ... different teas will produce a different loaf every time. Try black tea, rooibos, Earl Grey. The possibilities are endless!

Ingredients:

1 cup strong brewed tea

1/4 cup butter or marg

1/4 cup applesauce

3/4 cup raisins

1/3 cup shredded carrot

2 1/3 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

So to start, brew a cup of tea...I used orange pekoe this time but thinking of using Earl Grey next time around. 

Melt the butter in a saucepan then remove from heat and add the tea, applesauce, raisins and carrot. Leave at least long enough to cool or even for a few hours to infuse the flavours.

Sift the dry ingredients together. Beat the egg into the cooled tea mixture then add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just until combined.

Grease a 9 X 5" loaf pan and pour the batter in.

Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool in pan about 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a rack.

Then slice into it and have it with, what else?...A good cup of tea!

Grilled Blooming Onions

Our summer blooms may be coming to an end in the garden but these blooming onions are still going strong on the barbecue!

Ingredients:

3 medium onions

2 heaping tbsps parmesan cheese

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

olive oil to drizzle

Cut the tops off the onions and peel, but leave the root end intact.

Slice the dried part of the root end off so the onion will sit flat when cooking.

Now, still with the root end facing up, make 16 cuts straight down.

Turn the onion over and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Mix the parmesan, garlic powder and oregano together and gently spread the "petals" apart sprinkling the seasonings in as you go. Drizzle olive oil generously .

Heat the barbecue to 350°F and bake with the lid closed for 25-30 minutes.

Serve with just about anything else you're grilling!

Ratatouile with Sausage and Sweet Potato

Leave the sausage out and you have a perfectly good veggie dish but I found adding it just gave this dish extra oomph!

Ingredients:

2 Italian sausages, sliced

1 onion, sliced

1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 carrot, sliced

1 small eggplant, peeled and diced

4 large mushrooms, sliced thick or quartered

1 sweet red pepper, sliced

1 small yellow zucchini, sliced thick

2 tsps minced garlic

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp dry basil

1 - 28 oz can diced tomatoes

1 cup broth (veg, chicken or beef)

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

fresh Italian parsley to garnish

In a large skillet brown the sausage and break up as it cooks, then set aside.

In the same pan brown the onion and add the sweet potato, carrot, eggplant and mushrooms. Cook 1-2 minutes then add the tomato paste, broth, canned tomatoes, balsamic, garlic, paprika, basil, salt and pepper.

Cover and simmer 5-10 minutes or until sweet potato and carrots are tender. Now add the red pepper and zucchini slices and cook 3-4 minutes.

Return the sausage to the skillet and heat through.

Serve with fresh parsley

Makes about 6 good servings. And don't forget a nice crusty bread for sopping up the juices!

Hasselback Pizza Stuffed Chicken

Feel the need for pizza but not the carbs? The solution for your craving is right here!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

about 1/4 cup pizza/tomato sauce

1/2" tomato slices

mozzarella slices

pepperoni

sweet pepper slivers

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

dry oregano 

olive oil

fresh basil and Italian parsley

Take each chicken breast and make four slices about halfway through and place on a lined baking sheet. Fill each slit with 1 tsp pizza/tomato sauce.

Tuck in a slice of mozzarella. Decide how wide you want to slice it to fit nicely. Slide a slice of tomato in. Depending on the size of the tomato you are using you may have to cut your slices in half.

You can add pepperoni and thin slices of sweet pepper as well. Here's one without tomato for my non-tomato lover!

Top each with 1/4 cup shredded cheddar, a sprinkle of dry oregano and a drizzle of olive oil.

Bake at 375°F for 20-30 minutes, then broil 3-4 minutes for a light golden brown finish.

They are quite filling so go for light sides to accompany them.

Garnish with fresh basil and Italian parsley.

Pictured here with my Amazing Marinated Tomatoes 

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2020/08/amazing-marinated-tomatoes.html?m=1

Chicken Thighs with Blueberry Balsamic Glaze

 Believe it or not blueberries go really well with chicken! If you don't believe me, try it yourself!

Ingredients:

2 cups blueberries

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 pinches of sugar

zest of 1/2 lemon

6 chicken thighs

salt and pepper

Add the blueberries to a pan along with the balsamic and sugar. Cook on medium heat, stirring often, until reduced and slightly thickened.

Remove from heat and add the lemon zest. Cool.

Once the blueberries have cooled place the chicken in a bag and add about 1 heaping tbsp of blueberry sauce on each thigh. Reserve the rest.

Rub into the chicken and marinate in the fridge 2-6 hours.

When ready to cook place chicken skin side up on a parchment line baking sheet. Discard the marinade in the bag. Salt and pepper and spoon on more from the reserved blueberries. Bake at 425°F for 25 minutes, basting after about 10 minutes.

Then turn the temperature down to 400°F, turn the chicken pieces over, spoon more sauce on top and bake another 20 minutes. Make sure to keep a few spoonfuls of sauce reserved to serve.

Finally turn skin side up, baste and broil 3-4 minutes.

Serve with a spoonful of reserved sauce on each thigh.

I think if I were to barbecue these thighs I would add a couple of tablespoons of BBQ sauce to the blueberry mix.

Pictured here with my easy Sautéed Kale and Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Kale recipe:

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2020/08/sauteed-kale.html

Tomato recipe:

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2020/08/oven-roasted-cherry-tomatoes.html

Adapted from bakingwithmybulldog on Instagram (thanks!) who used it with salmon. I might try that next!

Sautėed Kale

 So freakin' easy!!!

Ingredients:

4 cup roughly chopped kale

2 tbsps olive oil

2 tsps minced garlic (or more if you really like garlic!) 

salt and pepper to taste

squeeze of lemon

Wash and de-stem the kale. Massage if they aren't tender leaves. Roughly chop it and toss in a large skillet or wok along with the olive oil. Add garlic and sauté on medium heat 3-4 minutes or just until wilted. Add salt and pepper and a good squeeze of lemon.

Done.

Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

 So you've got a ton of cherry tomatoes...

Roasted up, these little gems can be served on grilled baguette with cheese and herbs or just as they are for a simple veggie side dish.

Ingredients:

2 cups cherry tomatoes

2 tbsps olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

fresh basil or lemon basil leaves

Toss the tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic and place on a lined baking sheet. Salt and pepper then roast in a 425°F oven for 20 minutes.

Stir them around then return to the oven for 10 more minutes.

(See why lining the pan is a good idea!)

Add some fresh basil leaves and that's it!

Serve warm or at room temperature.