Easter Nests

Jazz up your Easter table! If you've ever made Rice Krispie squares then you can make these easy Easter nests.

Ingredients:

2 cups mini marshmallows (or 3/4 bag large marshmallows)

1/4 cup butter

4 cups chow mein noodles

 

Spray muffin tin with cooking oil.

In a large pot melt the butter on medium heat, then add the marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the chow mein noodles to coat. Spoon some of the mixture into a muffin tin. Spray the back of an ice cream scoop with oil and use it to shape an indentation in the noodles. If you need to use your hands to help shape the nest either spray them with oil or just dampen them with a little water.

Place in the freezer for 45-60 minutes. Then, using a small plastic spatula or knife, pop them out of the tin. They can be filled with little goodies then wrapped as small gifts or table markers for your Easter dinner.

Makes 12

Adapted from gratefulprayerthankfulheart.com

 

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Cheesy Chicken Meatloaf

Lean chicken is used in this meatloaf giving it a savory twist to the traditional beef meatloaf. Parmesan and aged cheddar give it a sharp and cheesy flavour profile.

Ingredients:

3/4 lb ground chicken

1 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded sharp, old cheddar

1/3 cup chopped spinach

4 tsps minced garlic

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dry oregano

1 tsp parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup tomato sauce

Mix the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, cheddar, spinach, garlic and onion together. In a separate bowl mix the egg, milk, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper together then combine with the meat mixture. Form into a loaf shape and place in a baking dish larger than the meatloaf so that the sides can brown while cooking. Spoon the tomato sauce over the top and spread evenly. Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes or until internal temperature reads 165°F. Rest 10 minutes before slicing. Served here with a scoop of russet and sweet potato mash.

Serves 4

 

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One Pot Sausage and Vegetables

Here's a hearty, healthy fridge clean out recipe. A little of this, a little of that and substitutions are encouraged depending on what's hanging out in your fridge.

Ingredients:

3 Bolognese  sausages, sliced (190g/7 oz)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 medium potatoes, sliced

1 small zucchini, sliced 

1/2 bell pepper, sliced

2 cups spinach, chopped

1/2 cup frozen edamame beans

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

Heat oil in a skillet to medum high and brown the sausage slices. Add the onion and cook 2 minutes, then add the potatoes and cook 5 minutes. Pour in the broth to deglaze the pan. Bring it to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Add the zucchini, bell pepper and edamame. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Toss in the spinach and cook 1-2 minutes longer.

Serves 2

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Maple Apple Pie

Bursting with juicy apples and sweetened with good old Canadian maple syrup.🍁No refined sugar here! 

Ingredients:

3 lbs firm apples (like Honeycrisp) peeled, cored and sliced 

3/4 cup robust Canadian maple syrup

1/4 tsp vanilla (or maple extract for an extra maple oomph!)

1/4 cup flour

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsps cornstarch

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

pastry for double crust 9" pie

milk wash and a sprinkle of sugar, optional

Place a pizza stone (if you have one) on the bottom rack of the oven and lay a piece of parchment on top. Preheat to 425°F. Toss the apples, syrup, extract and lemon juice together. Then mix the flour, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt together and mix in. Have your pie dough ready. (My favourite recipe for dough is store-bought! 😉) Roll dough out to a 14" circle and place in a 9" deep pie plate. Wet the edge with a bit of water. Spoon the filling in and pile it high. Roll out another circle of pie dough to 13" around and transfer it to top the apples. Crimp edges to seal. Cut a few slits in the top to vent and trim off any excess dough. If you like you can brush some milk on top and give the pie a sprinkle of sugar. Place in the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake 60-75 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

Serves 10

Adapted from: healthyseasonalrecipes.com

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Salmon Sweet Potato Patties

Nutrient rich and heart healthy! Use your favourite canned salmon. We like sockeye. And surprisingly, no messy hands. Just scoop and flatten, then bake!

Ingredients:

1/4 lb sweet potato, diced 

2 tsps olive oil

1 cup Panko crumbs

1 egg

1 tbsp mayo

1 tsp grainy Dijon

Pinch of salt

1 tbsp capers, chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

1 - 213g (7.5 oz) canned salmon, drained and crumbled

Boil the diced sweet potato until tender, 10-12 minutes. Heat a frying pan to medium heat, add olive oil then Panko and toast the crumbs 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally then remove from heat. Mash the cooked sweet potato. Mix the mayo, Dijon, salt, 1/2 the toasted Panko, capers and garlic and add to the sweet potato.  Then add the egg and salmon (with the small bones mashed in too if you like), and stir together. Place the other half of the Panko on a plate (or spread them out in the frying pan you toasted them in). Using a 2" cookie scoop, take some of the mix and place it on the crumbs. Using a fork, press down to form a 3" round. Sprinkle more crumbs on top and gently press. Carefully transfer the patties from the plate of crumbs with a spatula to a lined baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 12-14 minutes. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

Serves 5 (or 2 if  you have a good appetite!)

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John's Homemade All Purpose BBQ Sauce

My cousin is a heck of a barbecue cook! And we've always loved his BBQ sauce. I decided to ask him for his recipe, thinking he might not want to share it. But it turns out it was a recipe he had found in a book (sorry I can't give credit to the original author of the recipe). And it's pretty customizable. You can change the type of vinegar or mustard, use more or less Tabasco for heat and whatever barbecue rub you use will have an impact on the sauce as well.

Use it on literally anything! 

Ingredients:

2 cups ketchup

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tbsps molasses

2 tbsps prepared mustard

1 tbsp Tabasco sauce

1 tbsp of your favourite BBQ rub

2 tsps liquid smoke

1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine everything in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium to medium high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer for 15 minutes. Pour into sterilized jars and store in the fridge for months (if it lasts that long!)

Makes 2 1/2 cups 

Used it here in How to Cook a Frozen Chicken:

https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2021/11/how-to-cook-frozen-chicken.html 

And here on Make Ahead BBQ Pork Ribs:

https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2018/05/make-ahead-bbq-pork-ribs.html 

Or just slather it on anything you've got on the barbecue or frying in a pan!

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Korean Style Ground Chicken and Sprouts

This healthy one pan dinner features lean ground chicken, lots of vegetables and enough ginger to knock your socks off!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

3/4 lb ground chicken

1/4 cup soya sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsps sesame oil

3 tbsps fresh grated ginger

4 tsps minced garlic

2 medium carrots, shredded

2 cups shredded cabbage

4 cups bean sprouts

black pepper to taste

Combine the soya sauce, brown sugar and sesame oil and set aside. Heat the oil to medium in a large skillet or wok. Brown the chicken, breaking it up as it cooks, until no pink remains. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium high and add the carrots, cabbage, ginger and bean sprouts. Cook 2-3 minutes, then pour in the sauce and heat through 2 minutes. Add black pepper to taste.

Serves 2-3  as a main or 4 as a side

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Fluffy Whipped Chocolate Frosting

Fluffy and decadent and so easy to make. You'll love it! And the addition of coffee granules gives a deepness to the chocolate flavour without making it coffee tasting.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 cups icing sugar, sifted

1 1/2 cups cocoa powder, sifted

2/3 cup  35% whipping cream

2 tbsps vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1 tbsp instant coffee granules

Whisk butter on low to cream then on high until light. Measure the icing sugar and the cocoa powder then sift. Add the icing sugar, cocoa, whipping cream, vanilla, salt and coffee granules. Again, start on low to combine then whip on medium high to high for 5 full minutes until fluffy. Frost your cake then refrigerate to set.

 

Makes enough frosting for a 2 layer 8" cake.

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Air Fryer Mexican Stuffed Chicken

Elevate your dinner game with these air fried stuffed chicken breasts cooked to juicy perfection! 

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 oz shredded Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup chopped spinach

2 tbsps refried beans

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsps parmesan cheese

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and flatten with a rolling pin between sheets of wax paper or saved waxed cereal bag. Spread with refried beans. Mix the shredded cheese, spinach and cumin together and spoon onto one side of the chicken. Fold over then brush with beaten egg. Coat with parmesan. Place the chicken in an oiled air fryer basket and cook at 400°F for 10-12 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Serve with salsa.

Makes 2 servings

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Pierogies with Onions and Bacon

Looking for an easy mid-week meal? Using frozen pierogies, this one can be on the table in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 small  onions, thinly sliced

3 slices of bacon

14-16 frozen pierogies

2 tsps butter

1 cup chopped kale

sour cream or Greek yogurt to serve

First cook the pierogies as directed on package. I like them boiled and tender. Then, on medium high heat, cook the bacon to crispy and remove from heat. Cook the onion in the bacon fat for 5-8 minutes until nicely browned. Add the butter and kale and toss around for 1-2 minutes. Finally chop the bacon and add to the pan along with the cooked pierogies. Stir together a few minutes for the pierogies to brown and heat through. Serve with a dollop of either sour cream or Greek yogurt.

Serves 2

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Easy Shrimp, Mushrooms, Peppers and Pasta

Quick and easy meal with pretty much all kitchen staples, except maybe the white truffle infused finishing oil for an extra little hit of umami.  If you don't have it a drizzle of your best olive oil will work too.

Ingredients:

350g shrimp

8 or 9 white mushrooms, sliced

1-2 small bell peppers, sliced

1 cup chopped kale

3 tsps minced garlic

5-6 oz spaghetti 

2 tbsps olive oil + 1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp butter

1/4 - 1/2 cup reserved pasta water 

2 tbsps lemon juice

1/4 cup parmesan 

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Black pepper to taste 

White truffle infused finishing oil

Boil the spaghetti as directed on package.

Heat 2 tbsps olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a skillet to medium. Add mushrooms and peppers and cook 3-4 minutes then add the garlic for 1 minute. Remove to a plate. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter to the pan and sauté the shrimp until pink. Add black pepper to taste. Add the kale for 1 minute then return the peppers and mushrooms to the pan. Reserve the pasta water then drain the spaghetti. Toss the pasta in a pot with the reserved pasta water, lemon juice, parmesan and red pepper flakes. Plate the spaghetti and top with shrimp and veggies and finish with a drizzle of truffle oil.

Serves 3

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Air Fryer Breaded Cajun Cod

So crispy, yet tender and juicy inside! And healthier than fried cod using the air fryer.

Ingredients:

400g (5 small fillets) cod

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup oat or all purpose flour

1/2 cup Panko

1 tsp blackened Cajun seasoning

spray oil

Pat fillets dry with paper towels. Whisk the egg in a bowl. Place flour in another bowl. And combine the Panko and Cajun seasoning in yet another bowl. Now that you've got your breading station set up it's time to start. Dredge the fish in flour, dip in egg then coat in Panko. Place in an oil sprayed air fryer basket and give the fish a light spray of oil as well. Air fry at 400°F for 10-11 minutes, flipping over halfway through. The internal temperature should read 145°F.

Serves 2-3

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