Bacon Veggie Quiche

Eggs are usually associated with breakfast egg-cept when you make this savory egg custard meal in a pie for supper!

Ingredients:

4 slices of bacon

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

1 cup roughly chopped baby spinach

2 green onions, sliced

4 eggs

2 cups shredded cheese (gruyère, cheddar or mozzarella)

1 1/4 cups milk

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp Mrs Dash original blend (or salt and pepper)

2 tbsps crumbled feta

10" pie shell

If you don't already have a store bought and baked pie shell, just roll out your favourite pie dough and place it in a 10" pie plate. Prick all over with a fork then line with parchment and place a glass pie plate inside (or use beans or pie weights). Place in the fridge 15 minutes then trim the extra overhang of dough. Blind bake in a 425°F oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully take out the extra pie plate and parchment. Return to the oven for 5 minutes.

While the pie shell bakes fry the bacon, then remove from pan to cool and crumble. Add the onion and red pepper to the same pan and cook just to soften. Cool.  Whisk the eggs, milk and seasonings together. Add the spinach and sliced green onions.

Sprinkle the bacon, onion and red peppers on the bottom of the pie. Top with shredded cheese then pour in the egg mixture. Sprinkle with crumbled feta and more tops of green onions if you like. 

Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes then let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Can be served hot or at room temperature.

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Slow Cooker Maple Pulled Pork

Keep up with your busy day while the slow cooker works it's magic. Served with rice or piled on a bun, this pulled pork is your perfect, cozy, comfort food!

Ingredients:

2 lb pork shoulder roast

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 or 2 green onions

Place roast in an oiled slow cooker. Spread dijon over it then sprinkle the brown sugar on and spread evenly. Pour the maple syrup on top.

Cover and slow cook on low for 6-7 hours. Then take the roast out of the crockpot and shred the meat with forks.

Return the meat to the pot and add sliced green onion. Keep warm. Remove 1/2 cup of the juices to a small saucepan, cooking 5-10 minutes to reduce and slightly thicken.

Serve over rice and spoon some of the the thickened juices over everything. Or you can tuck into a hamburger bun stuffed with maple pulled pork, coleslaw and a little BBQ sauce! 😋 Serves 4

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Oatmeal Jam Cookies

Old fashioned gems filled with your favourite jam! 

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening (Crisco)

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3 eggs

3/4 cup water

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups oatmeal

3 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsps baking soda

1 1/2 tsps salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2/3 - 1 cup jam 

First cream the butter and shortening together in a large mixer bowl, then add both sugars. Add eggs one at a time, then carefully add in the water and extracts. Carefully because it might slosh out at first. Combine the oatmeal, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl, then add 1/2 this dry mixture to the wet. Once mixed pour the dough into the remaining dry mix and stir by hand until fully combined.

Take heaping tablespoons of dough and drop onto lined cookie sheets. Use a floured spoon or your thumb to make indentations in the cookies then fill with about 1/2 tsp of jam.

I added the zest of 1 orange to a quarter of the batter then filled those with orange marmalade. I also used some fig jam. You can use finely chopped nuts to dip the dough in before filling if you like. For these blackberry cookies I dipped them in the leftover oats/brown sugar left in the pan from my Date Squares before filling them with jam. See the recipe for those squares here:  https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2014/05/date-squares-matrimonial-cake.html

Bake at 400°F for 10-12 minutes.

Once cooled I drizzled leftover icing (from Christmas !!?!) over some of them.

This recipe makes a whole bunch of cookies... 5 1/2 - 6 dozen.

They also freeze well.

You'll love 'em!

Adapted from: mennonitegirlscancook.ca

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Loaf

Is there not a better combination than peanut butter and chocolate?

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 - 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and chunks

Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together. In another bowl mix the peanut butter, honey, sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until combined. Fold in the chocolate. I used a mixture of mini chips, semi sweet chocolate chips and a few chunks and chopped chocolate. Chocolate's chocolate right!?

Pour the batter into a greased 9 X 5" loaf pan and bake at 350°F for about 60 minutes. Start checking with a cake tester at 55 minutes. It should come out clean. Cool in the pan 15 minutes before removing to cool completely on a rack before cutting.

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Braised Cannellini Beans with Acorn Squash

No-nonsense nutrition with these creamy cannellini beans and roasted slices of nutty, acorn squash. This not-so-sweet squash is pretty easy to cut and peel but if you like leave the peel on, it's edible. And if you prefer a sweeter squash you can use butternut squash instead.

Ingredients:

Croutons:

1 cup cubed foccacia

1 tbsp olive oil

generous sprinkles of onion and garlic powders

pink Himalayan salt

Vinaigrette:

1/4 c + 1/4 c olive oil

6 or 7 garlic cloves

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp dijon

1 tbsp water

1 tsp sugar

salt and pepper

Squash:

1 acorn squash, peeled or not

1/2 red onion, sliced

2 or 3 crushed garlic cloves

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsps brown sugar

Cannellini:

28 oz can cannellini or white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth

1 tbsp olive oil

1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove

salt and pepper or Mrs Dash seasoning

Some mixed greens and parmesan cheese

There are a few steps in this recipe so we'll start with the vinaigrette. Put 1/4 cup olive oil and the garlic in a small saucepan and simmer on medium heat until the garlic are just golden, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a blender. Add the lemon juice, dijon, water, sugar salt and pepper and blend until smooth, then add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Pour into a jar and set aside.

Next up, the croutons. Pretty easy...mix the crouton ingredients together and spread on a baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 7-8 minutes.

On to the squash. Acorn is relatively easy to cut and peel, so cut it in half, scoop out all the seeds and strings and peel if you choose to. Then cut into 1/2" slices. Toss with the onion, garlic, olive oil, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Spread on a lined baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 40-45 minutes, turning over halfway through the cooking time. Sprinkle brown sugar in the last 10 minutes.

And finally the beans...Once the beans are drained and rinsed pour them into a saucepan along with the broth, olive oil, bay leaf, garlic clove, salt and pepper and/or Mrs. Dash. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until almost all the liquid is absorbed. Remove the bay leaf and garlic.

Plate the acorn squash and beans then toss the greens with some of the vinaigrette. Top with croutons and parmesan cheese and drizzle more vinaigrette over everything.

Serves 4

Adapted from: cherryonmysundae.com 

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Spatchcocked Cranberry Chicken

Spatchcock ... such a funny word, but where did it come from? Apparently it derives from the Irish when they needed to cook up a quick chicken dinner, they would say "Dispatch the cock!" 

Ingredients:

4 lb chicken, spatchcocked (will explain later if you don't know this term)

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tbsps apple cider vinegar

4-5 tsps minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp celery seed

1/3 cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon (keep the used lemon halves)

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup chicken broth

Spatchcocking the chicken simply means butterflying it by cutting down both sides of the backbone with kitchen shears and removing it. Then pressing down on the breast side of the chicken to flatten it while spreading it out for an even cooking.

So, once you've got your chicken prepared lay it in a roaster and either cut off the wing tips or tuck them underneath the bird.

Combine the cranberries, brown sugar and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar and set aside. Dry the chicken with paper towels then rub the garlic all over and even under the skin where you can. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice and 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar together along with the onion and spoon over the bird. You can keep some for basting half way through. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, rosemary, paprika and celery seed.  Now sit those two reserved lemon halves in the pan, pour the broth in the pan and top the chicken off with the sugared cranberries.

Bake in a preheated oven at 450°F for 50-60 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165°F. Remember to baste halfway through the cooking time.

Click the link below to see our Spatchcocked Turkey

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2015/08/spatchcocked-or-butterflied-turkey-on.html

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Light Eggplant Parmigiana

Light as in no flour, egg or breadcrumbs to weigh this parmigiana down. Just layers of tender eggplant, seasoned tomato sauce and melty cheese.

Ingredients:

1 lb eggplant, peeled or unpeeled 

Salt

3-4 tbsps olive oil

2 cups tomato sauce 

1 tsp minced garlic

Pinch of paprika

Pinch of chili powder

1 tsp dry basil

1/4 - 1/2 cup parmesan reggiano

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella 

Chopped spinach, arugula or basil to garnish 

Slice the eggplant lengthwise very thinly, about 1/8" - 1/4" thick. Salt each side and place between sheets of paper toweling. Sit something heavy on top (like a cast iron pan) for 1 hour. 

After the hour rinse the salt off the eggplant and pat the slices dry with another towel. Set aside. This step will remove any bitterness from the eggplant and gives it a creamy texture upon baking.

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil to medium in a small saucepan and add garlic. Cook just until fragrant then add paprika, chili, basil and tomato sauce. Simmer a few minutes then remove from heat.

Ok, back to the eggplant. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan. Add slices, 3 or 4 at a time, and cook on each side until soft and golden. Remove from pan. Add another tbsp of oil and continue until all the eggplant is cooked. Take a 10 X 10" baking dish and smear a thin coat of sauce on the bottom. (If you want a deeper parmigiana use an 8 X 8" pan) Lay eggplant slices in a single layer on the bottom. Spoon some sauce on top, followed by some parmesan and mozzarella. Continue layering, alternating the direction of the slices, until everything has been layered ending with parmesan and mozzarella.

Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes. Then try to wait 5 minutes before slicing. More like 15-20 minutes if you want a more perfectly cut square. (I couldn't wait 🤷🏼‍♀️)

If you have leftover sauce after the layering just cook up a little spaghetti and toss together. You can also finish with a garnish of chopped spinach and arugula or basil leaves.

This eggplant parmigiana serves 4 with a side of spaghetti.

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Poached Salmon and Pea Risotto

Not bragging but this is seriously delicious! (Yes, I'm bragging!) Try this classic dish tonight. Creamy rice and tender salmon from pan to plate in no time!

Ingredients:

13 oz (400g) salmon fillets

2 tbsps olive oil

2 tbsps butter

1/2 red onion, diced

2 tsps minced garlic

2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

4 1/2 cups chicken broth (for risotto)

zest of 1/2 a lemon

2 tbsps fresh lemon juice

1 cup frozen peas

2 tbsps finely shredded carrot

2 cups chicken broth (for salmon)

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup parmesan reggiano

2 tbsps butter

handful of spinach, chopped

Start the risotto by heating the olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Sauté the onion until softened but not browned then add the garlic for 1 minute. Add the rice and stir to coat and toast very lightly. Bring the heat up then add the wine and cook until absorbed. Stir in 2 cups of broth, lemon zest and juice, reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 10 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups broth and cook the rice until it is tender and the broth is absorbed. Remove from heat and add the peas, carrot, spinach, butter and parmesan reggiano. Stir and cover to keep warm while you poach the salmon.

In a large frying pan bring 2 cups of broth to a boil. Add the salmon and simmer for about 5 minutes or until it easily flakes. Break into chunks and remove pan from heat.

Plate the risotto then use a slotted spoon to lift pieces of salmon from the broth and lay them over the rice. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4

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Beef Chili

On a cold and rainy or snowy day you need a bowl of chili to warm you from your nose to your toes!

Ingredients:

2 tbsps vegetable oil

1 lb ground beef

2 cups chopped onion

2 tbsps minced garlic

1/2 red pepper, diced

handful of spinach, chopped

1 cup canned diced tomatoes

3 tbsps tomato paste

3 tbsps chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

a pinch or 2 of cayenne

2 cups beef broth

2 - 19 oz cans red or white kidney beans (or 1 of each)

shredded habanero or sharp cheddar cheese to top

In a large skillet heat the vegetable oil and brown the beef. Then add the onion, garlic and red pepper and cook until softened. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the cheese, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hour. Taste to see if you want more spice, salt or pepper.

You can even toast some hamburger buns and spoon it over the top instead of having it in bowls. Just pile it high and top with cheese! Serves 4

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