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Scalloped Cabbage

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Butter a 2-quart casserole.

It is fine to double this recipe. 

Cabbage:

Finely shred 3 cups of cabbage 

Cook cabbage in a small amount of boiling water with a pinch of salt in a covered saucepan until tender-crisp. (Takes about 5 minutes)

Drain, mix with cheese sauce and sprinkle with topping. 

Sauce:

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of flour 

½ teaspoon of salt

¼ teaspoon of paprika

¼ teaspoon of dry mustard

1 cup of milk

1 cup of finely grated cheese 

In an 8-cup glass bowl, heat butter ½ to ¾ of a minute, or until melted. Whisk in the flour and spices. Gradually add the milk, whisking until smooth.

Microwave sauce on MEDIUM POWER for 5 to 6 minutes, stopping to whisk every two minutes until the sauce thickens.   

Add cheese, stir sauce until cheese melts. Mix with well-drained cabbage. Pour into a 2-quart casserole and cover with your preferred crumb topping. I have enjoyed crushed crackers, butter mixed with breadcrumbs, or potato chips as a topping. 

Bake in a 350°F oven until the top is brown and sauce is bubbly. (30 minutes)

Note:

Leftover Scalloped Cabbage and Cheese freezes successfully in small containers. It is delicious reheated for quick lunches. 

 

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!! 

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. 

 

 

Oven-Baked Rice Medley

Preheat oven to 350°F

Try this oven-baked rice recipe. It bakes in 30 minutes at 350°F, so it is ready in the time it takes to rest and carve a roast. 

Pour two cups of good quality chicken broth into an ovenproof casserole and heat on high in the microwave for two minutes per cup.

Sauté finely chopped fresh mushrooms with onions or shallots. I sometimes use the last third of an onion and the end of a package of mushrooms. This rice is also delicious made with only broth. 

Add the veggies to the hot chicken broth. Add one cup of raw white rice (not processed) to the liquid, along with a rounded teaspoon of butter. Stir the mixture until the butter melts. Place a lid on the casserole and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, check to be sure that the broth is fully absorbed. If the rice looks cooked, remove the casserole from the oven. Fluff the rice, replace the lid, and let the rice stand for up to 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

The rice can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen in individual portions. Brown rice can be prepared this way but will require 50 minutes or more to cook.

Tips:

I often toss half a cup of grated carrots or beets into the dish for the sitting period at the end. The steam from the hot rice cooks the grated vegetables, and the extra colour is lovely. 

Once you are comfortable making rice in the oven, try using other liquids and different vegetables in your medley. I have made oven-baked rice with pineapple juice instead of broth, adding chopped apples, celery, and onions to the mix. I've also tried mixing coconut milk, kidney beans, and a bit of chilli powder. Have fun! 

 

 

 

 

Maureen’s Savoury Spritz Cookies

Savoury spritz cookies are a lovely addition to a plate of appetizer treats, like olives, sausage bites, and vegetable sticks. The oregano in these makes them a delicious accompaniment for tomato soup or ministrone.  

If you need to refresh your memory about using a cookie press click here. Or watch our From the Cookie Jar trailer at On Screen.

Preheat the oven to 350°F

With a paring knife, cut 8 ounces of Monterey Jack cheese into finger-sized strips. Place in the freezer for half an hour. When ready to grate the cheese, stand the fingers in the food processor tube, with a fine grater in place, and procede. Remove the grater attachment and add the paddle. Leave this to warm up for ten or fifteen minutes.

NOTE: This cheese can be too soft to grate unless it is extremely cold. Pregrated cheese is often coated to keep the pieces apart. We want it to cream with butter. 

Cream ½ cup of butter with the grated cheese until a smooth consistency is reached.  

Add the flour and suggested spices or spices of your choice. Blend.

1½ cups of all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon of salt

A pinch of cayenne pepper

A pinch of black pepper

A pinch of garlic powder, optional

¼ teaspoon of oregano

 

Add the yolk of an egg, and blend until dough holds together.

Shape the dough in logs to fit into the cookie press of your choice.

Using desired disk, press shapes onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes (12 minutes in my oven), or until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes on rack. Remove from pan, and continue cooling.

This recipe works best if you roll the dough into logs to fit your cookie press then let it rest for a while. You will have more success with the simplest shapes. Get to know your cookie press. Every press has its own quirks.    

Oven-Baked Pinto Bean Salad

Here is my recipe for Oven-Baked Pinto Bean Salad, which is delicious on its own or served as a side dish for a roast beef dinner. It makes a yummy protein accompaniment to a rice and salad meal. This recipe is gluten-free, as long as you choose gluten-free crackers. I keep individual servings of baked bean salad in the freezer, to provide me with an occasional quick lunch. The recipe, as presented, serves four to six people, but I multiply it according to the size of the party. If you make it once, you will make it again.

Oven-Baked Pinto Bean Salad

1 tin (14 ounces) of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup of celery, chopped

¼ cup of green onions, chopped

½ teaspoon of salt

½ cup of mayonnaise

â…“ cup of chopped Bicks Yum Yum Sweet Pickles, or your choice

4 ounces (weighed) of mozzarella cheese, grated (about 1 ½ cups)

Rice Works brown rice crackers, crushed, or another favourite

1 or 2 slices of turkey bacon, cooked and slivered

Mix the drained beans, celery, green onions, salt, mayonnaise, sweet pickle, and grated cheese.  Place the mixture into one ovenproof casserole or several small ramekins.

Top the casserole with crushed Rice Works brown rice crackers or another favourite cracker

Sprinkle the top with one or two rashers of cooked turkey bacon, slivered.

Place the bean casserole in a 450°oven for 10 minutes or bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

This recipe can be assembled early in the day and baked for fifteen minutes or until the cheese melts. Store the dish in the fridge, then heat for 30 minutes at 350°F. It needs to be hot right through.

You can also do all the chopping the night before, then assemble the salad in the morning.

Bakeware like Emile Henry can go from fridge or freezer to oven very successfully. 

 

Tea Party Toast Cups

Preheat oven to 350°F

Crispy tiny toast cups are delicious with almost any filling and can be made from your choice of bread (even gluten free). Children and adults will enjoy creating new taste combinations.   

 

To Make Toast Cups:

Select sandwich style loaves of bread. Each slice of bread will provide you with four toast cups. Cut crusts from the bread slices. Quarter each slice forming four squares. Press bread squares into small, ungreased muffin cups. (The empty muffin cups should be able to hold 4 teaspoons of filling.)

Push the bread squares into the muffin cups using a wooden tart-press. Bake the bread-lined muffin cups for 15 minutes at 350°F or until the corners are slightly browned.

Turn the pan upside down to remove. Cool. Store the toast cups in a tin until you are ready to serve them.  

To Serve:

Fill toast cups as desired and place them on a platter, or invite your guests to fill their own. To do the latter, provide several filling options and serve the toast cups in a basket nearby.

Suggested Fillings:

Egg salad, chicken salad, chili, antipasto, grated vegetables or fruit, grated cheese, grated pickles, or anything else you like.      

Note:

Small children love to have their snacks in small containers. My grandchildren enjoy filling their own toast cups. Imagine multigrain toast cups with banana and peanut butter, or raisin toast cups with grated apples and shredded cheese. Present them with a selection of ingredients and let them discover the possibilities. This can be a nutritious and delicious way to eat.

Toast cups also make appealing appetizers for grown-ups at a party.