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Crunchy Cauliflower Salad

(A delicious combination of flavours to accompany pork or chicken) 

Ingredients:

½ cup sliced celery

½ cup apple, chopped

1 full cup cauliflower slices

Mix with enough mayonnaise to coat vegetables. You can experiment with adding other ingredients to the mayonnaise, such as low-fat sour cream or yogurt.

Note: To make a larger salad, simply cut equal parts celery and apple and add twice as much cauliflower. This can be prepared several hours ahead because the mayonnaise keeps the apple from browning.  

Gingered Fig Muffins

I found this delicious recipe tucked inside a book that I purchased from a second-hand bookstore. This recipe is one of the most valuable treasures I have discovered. I have other treasures that were hiding in old books, including pressed leaves, postcards, addresses, funeral announcements, and antique bookmarks. When I find something unexpected, I am always curious about the person who previously owned the book. Sometimes, I let my imagination create a little fiction. 

A Gingered Fig Muffin makes a delicious breakfast and is even better with a cup of tea or coffee. The result is more like a scone, in texture, so I tried baking half of the batter in a pie plate, and I loved the results.  

You can see the original recipe in the photo, but I have made changes to suit my taste. I have omitted the orange peel, and I don’t grind the fruit up in my food processor. I prefer to eat the muffins hot with a generous serving of apricot jam. I love the taste surprise when a bit of warm ginger or a burst of fruity fig pushes through the sweet flavour of apricot jam.  

Gingered Fig Muffins

Finely chop dried fruit; set aside 

(I cut the fruit as much as a day ahead and prefer to cut everything with kitchen scissors. I cover each cup with plastic wrap until I am ready to use it.) 

1 cup of dried figs, chopped

2 tablespoons of crystallized ginger, chopped

½ cup of dried apricots, chopped

In a bowl combine flour, soda, and salt; set aside 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon of salt

In another bowl beat eggs, butter, and sugar

½ cup of butter at room temperature

¾ of a cup of granulated sugar

2 large eggs

Beat fruit into egg mixture, and stir in yogurt

1 cup of 2% plain yogurt (I like Greek yogurt)

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until the mixture is moistened. 

With an ice cream scoop, divide the batter between twelve greased muffin cups. 

Bake at 400°F until golden brown; about 18 to 20 minutes

Enjoy!   

Spinach Pie

Most recipes in my file are jam-packed with memories. This simple, delicious side dish came to me from Carol Ann Hanson. She left this life way too soon, and I miss her terribly, but she is alive in my heart every time I make one of her recipes. 

CA, as we called her, was my daughters’ dance teacher for the years we lived in Kindersley, Saskatchewan. CA believed in working hard, having fun, following traditions, and eating well. She taught me to take a toaster oven and a cooler full of food to dance competitions so that my girls could enjoy familiar food. We ate out occasionally, but it was more relaxing to curl up together and eat in front of the motel TV. 

Spinach Pie can be made in an 8" by 12" pan or two pie plates. It heats well directly from the freezer so choose a pan that can withstand temperature changes. When only three or four people are eating, it is great to be able to heat only one pie. 

Spinach Pie Ingredients:

20 ounces of frozen spinach, thawed

10 strips of bacon, fried crisp and finely chopped (I use turkey bacon) 

1 medium onion, chopped or sliced 

½ a pound of fresh mushrooms, sliced

1½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese 

Salt and pepper, to taste

Assembly:

Sauté the onions and mushrooms in butter or oil.

Squeeze the excess moisture from the thawed spinach.

In a buttered, ovenproof pan, approximately 8" by 12" in size, spread the spinach evenly. I use an oval, enamelled, cast iron pan, which can go from freezer to oven. Emile Henry pie plates also work. Arrange the onion and mushroom mixture over the spinach. Sprinkle with bacon and cover with cheese. 

Bake the casserole at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes. It will keep warm for half an hour on the stovetop. If you plan to freeze it, bake it for only 20 minutes. To reheat, put the frozen pie in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes. Enjoy!! 

Six Minute Lemon Pie Filling

Altitude affects the consistency of this recipe. I live on the prairies and add more cornstarch to less water when making this at home. When visiting the mountains, I make it with no changes. This filling can be served in stemware as a refreshing change of taste after a heavy meal. Add a dollop of whipped cream and a shortbread biscuit to dress it up. It can also be added to a baked pie crust and topped with meringue. Read The Trouble With Getting High for more about my adventures with this recipe.

Ingredients:

1½ cups of sugar

⅓ cup of cornstarch (add a bit more on the prairies)

1½ cups of boiling water (use a bit less on the prairies)

3 egg yolks beaten; save the whites for meringue

3 tablespoons of butter

¼ cup of lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 baked nine-inch pie crust

Always prepare your ingredients ahead, when using the microwave. There is no time between cooking stages to squeeze lemons. 

Method:

Mix sugar and cornstarch thoroughly in an eight-cup, glass, measuring bowl. Stir in the boiling water. Microwave on high power for 2½ minutes. Stir.

Continue cooking for 1 minute, stirring and checking for consistency after 30 seconds. 

Beat a small amount of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. Add the warmed yolks back into the cornstarch mixture. Cook another 30 seconds on high. 

Blend butter, lemon juice, and lemon peel into the sugar mixture. Cool.

Pour into a cooled, baked pie crust. Cover with meringue and brown in the oven. 

Meringue:

Whip the three egg whites until frothy and add ¼ cup of sugar slowly while still beating. 

When peaks form, pile meringue on the pie and bake in a 400°F oven for 5 minutes. Once cooled, keep this treat in the refrigerator. 

Baked Beets and Onions

Baked Beets and Onions

I have converted many beet-haters into beet-lovers by serving this dish. One of my readers tried this recipe using assorted beet varieties and told me it was delicious. She grows golden beets, and her family enjoys them each fall until they are gone. She says It would be nice to have too many so that she could share. 

I usually use a food processor to slice raw beets. 

Ingredients:

4 to 5 medium beets (about 1½ pounds), sliced

1 medium-sized sweet onion, sliced

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons of sugar

Method:

In a 1½-quart casserole, layer half of the beets and ½ of the onion. Using a pastry brush, coat this layer lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle half of the sugar over this layer.

Repeat with the rest of the beets and onions.

Coat this layer with the remaining melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Cover the baking dish. 

Bake the beets and onions in a 350° F oven for one hour or until beets are fork tender. The beets and onions can take an hour and a half to cook. Your kitchen will smell divine. 

This amount serves four people. 

NOTE: 

For a larger group, double the recipe.  Make it ahead, refrigerate until ready to serve, and warm at 350°F for 30 minutes. 

Colourful Carrot Raisin Salad

Most people have tasted this salad, even if it was long ago. Serving Carrot Raisin Salad always results in the sharing of food memories. It makes a colourful addition to a plate of food. 

½ cup raisins

1½ cups raw carrot, grated

¼ cup of mayonnaise

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1 teaspoon of sugar

¼ teaspoon of salt

Mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar, and salt, using a small whisk. Wash raisins, and remove stems. Toss carrot, raisins, and dressing together. This salad can be made several hours in advance and refrigerated until serving. 

Tip: Serve portions on individual side plates on top of lettuce leaves. I love this old fashioned salad with roast pork, quiche, turkey pie, or a sandwich. 

Delicious Date Bites

I recommend having a box of Medjool dates in your pantry or refrigerator. They make a satisfying dessert with a cup of tea. They are sweet, chewy, and jam-packed with vitamins and minerals. Take time to read the package because they have an expiry date. The average Medjool date has 66 calories and more food value than you will find in most other small snacks. You can usually find them in the produce department in a plastic cube box. 

My friend Sakina was born in Morocco and makes delicious, exotic treats. She often incorporates walnuts, ground almonds, dates, and spices. I learn something new from her at each visit. She introduced me to orange blossom water, which I was able to buy at Super Store. Sakina prepares a tray of 18 or more dates by washing them, splitting them with a paring knife, and removing the pits. She then dips them in orange flower water and places them on a tray to dry. You can also use a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if you prefer. She stuffs a half walnut into each date and pinches the sides together. These delights will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks. 

A tea party at Sakina’s involves a tray of small bites, much like my mother used to serve for breakfast; for more small bite ideas read Breakfast Tea.  

Visit HERE for even more recipe ideas as well as stories about production and quality.

Mind Blowing Caramel Coconut Icing

Every fall I receive beets from my friend Aline, and I make several Beet and Carrot Cakes to place in my freezer. In response to my past blog about Beet and Carrot Cake, I received many comments and emails. Aline told me her recipe for Beet and Carrot Cake was identical to mine, but her icing was entirely different. She shared that recipe with me, and I am grateful.  

This year, I did a comparative test with tea time visitors. Each person received two pieces of my beet and carrot cake, one with cream cheese glaze and the other with Mind Blowing Caramel Coconut Icing. Our young friend took a bite of the caramel coconut topped cake, and, as he chewed, his expression brightened and he said, “Wow! That is good. It totally surprised me.” 

If I hadn’t told my guests we were testing one cake recipe with two different toppings, they would have thought the cakes were different too. Give this recipe a try, and let me know your thoughts by commenting below.    

Caramel Coconut Icing Ingredients: 

Make this icing as soon as the cake comes out of the oven. It is best to apply this icing to a warm cake. 

10 tablespoons of brown sugar

4 tablespoons of butter

6 tablespoons of cream (I used whipping cream)

1¼ cups of unsweetened shredded coconut

Place the above ingredients in a saucepan and stir until the mixture boils. Continue boiling for 3 minutes.   

Spread the icing on the warm cake. 

Return the cake to the oven and broil until the icing has browned. In my oven, the broiling step requires just over two minutes. Keep an eye on the process to avoid burning.

Patterns for Simple Gingerbread Houses

My Eats and Treats column for the winter 2018 issue of Prairies North Magazine is titled Starter Home - Gingerbread Style. To accompany that article, I am sharing a few ideas about making gingerbread house patterns. 

Designing a bungalow pattern is easy. Start with a pad of graph paper. If this is your first attempt, count out a rectangle that is 34 squares wide and 22 squares high, which provides a template for the front and back of the bungalow.

Draw the narrower ends of the house, beginning with a 22 X 22 square box. From the center top of the square, count up 13 squares. This creates the pitch of the roof. You will cut two of these pieces, creating the two ends. Add a hole in the lower third of the back. This opening will allow the lights to enter the building.  

Draw a rectangle for the roof, a little longer than the house and broader than the roof pitch. An overhang is a good idea in case the gingerbread pieces shrink while baking. 

Cut windows and doors as you like. Roll the dough on parchment paper and use a paring knife to cut away the windows and doors you have planned. You can also add a few windows or enlarge them at this stage. If you change your mind, crumple the dough into a ball and reroll.  

If you aren't sure about the pattern you have made, tape the pieces together to check on your plan. 

Use your dough scraps to cut out people, trees, or even a fence. The children who help decorate the house will find a way to use everything you provide. 

A-frames have fewer pieces than bungalows. They are simple and fun to decorate. You must cut the roof piece twice and cut the house front again, to create a back, adding a hole in the back piece for inserting a string of lights. An A-frame roof looks spectacular shingled in shredded wheat, chocolate squares, liquorice all sorts or tiny wafers. A sprinkling of icing sugar looks like freshly fallen snow.  

Click on GB1 and GB2 for printable pieces, but every printer is different. The roof measures 9 3/4" by 7 1/2" while the base of the triangular front and back pieces measure 7 1/4" across the bottom. This A-frame results in a 9" house, measured from the base to the pointed roof.   

There are many patterns available online. Enjoy the process and become more adventurous each year. Take pictures. 

REMEMBER: It isn’t the size of your house that makes it memorable but rather the fun and love that goes into building it. 

Vintage Half Hour Pudding

My husband, the boy from the Get a Bigger Wagon stories, truly loves this pudding. He keeps the leftovers in the fridge and happily warms further servings in the microwave. He assures me that this pudding keeps well for three days. 

I found the original recipe, written in fountain pen, in my mother’s personal cookbook, which she started in 1947. The recipe called for butter “the size of an egg” to be added to the sauce. I use two tablespoons of butter. My mother had made a note in the margin of her recipe saying that 2 cups of water was too much. My father preferred a more sticky pudding. I use 1¾ cups of water and like the resulting thicker sauce. 

This pudding cooks at 350°F for 30 minutes, so I often bake other dishes at the same time. For example, my Oven-Baked Rice Medley requires the same time and temperature. 

I keep this recipe handy, in case we spontaneously invite guests to stay for dinner. It serves six to eight people. 

Vintage Half Hour Pudding

Preheat oven to 350° F

Pudding:

1 cup of flour

¾ of a cup of white sugar

½ cup of milk

¼ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of baking powder

½ cup of dates, chopped

Mix the above ingredients and spoon into a greased dish (1.5 quarts). 

Sauce:

1 cup of brown sugar

1¾ cups of boiling water 

2 tablespoons of butter

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Pour the sauce over the batter, and place the dish in a 350°F oven. Bake the pudding for 30 minutes. The pudding will rise through the sauce allowing yummy delicious caramel taste to surround each bite. 

L to R Vintage Half Hour Pudding, pork chops, baked rice in broth