Tory's Foodie Blog

Tapenade...

2008-03-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

I had this recipe for ages, but never tried it. Finally, the last time Ashley came for a visit, she talked me into making it as I had all the ingredients. One of the reasons I had never made it was because I knew nobody in my house,but me, would like it. Well, since I had help to eat it and had all the ingredients, Ashley and I made it. It was so good, she and I just stood in the kitchen with a bagette, eating out of the food processer! I used a can of olives I had in the pantry, but, I thought they were pitted...they weren't. Even having to pick out all the pits while we ate, didn't stop us!!

Tapanade

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 clove of garlic, chopped

1/4 tsp. of both salt and pepper

Anchovy fillets (2 or 3) or more, to taste

1 tbsp. drained capers or more or less to taste

Process to desired consistancy, either chunky or smooth.

Serve on slices of bagettes.

Easy Baklava..

2008-03-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

I love Baklava, but a most times when you buy it, it's a dry, tasteless lump. I came across this recipe on-line, tried it, and my whole family fell in love with it. It is the best recipe ever, and it's pretty easy to whip up.

Easy Baklava

1 lb. walnuts (roughly chopped)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 (16 ounce) pkg. frozen phyllo dough (thawed)

1 cup butter, melted

1 cup white sugar

1 cup water

1/2 cup honey

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. grated lemon zest (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Toss together cinnamon and walnuts. Unroll the phyllo and cut whole stack in half to fit baking dish. Cover phyllo with a damp cloth while assembling baklava, to keep it from drying out.

Place 2 sheets of phyllo in baking dish. Brush generously with butter. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tbsp. of nut mixture on top. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, ending with about 6 sheets of phyllo. Using a sharp knife, cut all the way through to the bottom of the dish into four long rows, then diagonally (9 times) to make 36 diamond shapes.

Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

While baklava is baking, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir in honey, vanilla and lemon zest, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately pour sauce over baklava. Let cool before serving.

Home-made Bar-B Que Sauce

2008-02-13T08:41:00.001-08:00

This Bar-B-Que sauce is very tasty. I got it off the back of a ketchup bottle years ago. If you prefer it a little spicier, feel free to add some hot sauce or pepper flakes.

Home-made Bar-B-Que Sauce

2 tbsp. butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup beef stock, beer or water
2 tbsp. worsteshire sauce
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 cracked black pepper

Brown onions in margarine. Add all ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes.

Glazed Cottage Roll

2008-02-12T15:16:00.000-08:00

This is very nice for Sunday dinner.

1 Pork, cottage roll

1 bay leaf

6 whole cloves or about 1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1 onion, quartered

1 clove of garlic, crushed

potatoes, carrots, green cabbage wedges

3 tbsp. prepared mustard

3 tbsp. brown sugar

Cover cottage roll with cold water. Add baly leaf, onion, cloves and garlic to the water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Add veggies for last 20 - 30 minutes, until tender. Take netting off of roast and put in roasting pan. Mix mustard and brown sugar. Spread over meat. Bake 425 deg. for 15 minutes or until glaze is set.

Chicken Korma

2008-02-12T14:50:00.000-08:00

This is another of Bambi's recipes which I've been using for years. It is very tasty and not too spicy. I call it chicken korma, but you can use any meat. It really begs to be eaten with basmati rice.

1 lb. chicken, (or any meat) cut into about 1 inch pieces

1 pint of plain yogurt

1/2 tsp. salt

Marinate meat in yogurt and salt while preparing the rest.

1 8oz. can of plain tomato sauce

1 tbsp. ground coriander

1 tbsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

6 whole cloves

2 cardamon pods, peeled

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

mix together

1 large onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

3 tbsp. butter plus one tbsp. oil

Brown onion and garlic in oil and butter until onion is golden brown. Add yogurt/chicken and tomato sauce mixture to pot. Stir well, cover and simmer until meat is cooked, approx 30 min. Uncover for last few minutes of cooking to thicken up a bit.

Hummus

2008-02-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

Hummus is a very nutritious and yummy dip. It can be served with crackers or veggies as a dip, or even spread on bread. I don't recall where I got this recipe from, but it's very good. Actually, it's addictive.

Hummus

1 can chick peas

1/3 cup oil

3 tbsps. lemon juice (Fresh makes all the difference)

2 garlic cloves, sliced

2 tbsp. tahini (mid eastern sesame paste)

1/2 tsp. salt

chopped parsley, fresh to taste about 1/4 cup

1/2 diced chopped onion. (optional)

1 tsp. dried dill (optional)

a handfull of green olives (optional)

drain chickpeas

add all ingredients to food processor. Process until smooth. If too thick, a little water can be added to desired thickness.

Roasted Chicken and Pan Gravy

2008-02-12T13:58:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from Reader's Digest about 6 years ago. It makes the nicest, juiciest chicken ever and the pan gravy turns out perfectly every time.

Roasted Chicken and Pan Gravy

1 whole chicken

salt and pepper

2 tbsp. melted butter

Wash chicken and dry with paper towel. Sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper. Put in roasting pan. Brush with melted butter.

Roast uncovered for 30 minutes @ 400 degrees. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Baste every 20 minutes. Cook for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until juices run clear.

Remove Chicken from pan and keep warm.

Skim all the fat from roasting pan.

Pan Gravy

2 cups chicken stock, divided

3 tbsp. flour

Place roasting pan over moderate heat. Add 1/2 cup of stock. Scrape and cook stock in pan for 1 min. to losen brown bits in bottom of pan. Blend flour with 1/4 cup stock in small bowl. Add to pan, (I usually add it through a small sieve to avoid lumps) Whisk until well blended. Slowly add 1 1/4 cup stock whisking until boiling and thickened. Salt and pepper to taste.

Best Bran Muffins

2008-02-12T13:43:00.001-08:00

I got this recipe off of the back of the pakage of bran, and have been using it for years. In my opinion, they are the best bran muffins ever. They are very quick and easy to throw together in the morning.

Best Bran Muffins

1 1/2 cups raw bran

1 cup buttermilk, or 1 tbsp. lemon juice and enough milk to make 1 cup.

1/3 cup veg. oil

1 egg

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Mix buttermilk or sour milk with bran. Let stand while beating together oil, egg,brown sugar and vanilla. Whisk into bran mixture. Sift dry ingredients together then stir into wet mixture just until mixed.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes

Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Healthy Seed-Date Muffins

2008-02-12T13:12:00.000-08:00

I adapted this recipe from an old cookbook I had, adding a variety of seeds to make it more healthy and flavourful. I've been making these muffins for at least 15 years. You make them the night before, so in the morning all you have to do is bake them.

Healthy Seed-Date Muffins

1 cup of raw bran

1/2 cup oats (not quick cooking)

1/2 cup raw sesame seeds

1 tsp. orange zest

1 cup boiling water

1 cup milk

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup veg. oil

1/3 cup honey

4 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

3 cups flour

1 tbsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3/4 cups chopped dates

1/2 cup chopped apple

In a large bowl, combine bran, oats, sesame seeds and orange zest. Add boiling water let stand 10 min.

In a large mixing bowl mix milk, juice, oil, honey, vanilla and sugar. Whisk in eggs. Add to bran mixture. In seperate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, chopped dates and apples. Stir into batter until moist. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 weeks.

Fill muffin cups without stirring. Bake 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 18 muffins.

Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins

2008-02-12T11:53:00.000-08:00

These muffins are from a young married couple from my church when Fang and I were first married. They are the most wonderful tasting way to use old, very ripe bananas. A good tip is when you have some over-ripe bananas hanging around and you don't feel like using them for baking right away, throw them in the freezer, skins and all until you're ready to use them for baking. Just defrost and use as usual.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

3 large or 4 med. ripe bananas

3/4 cup of brown sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup of melted margarine

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

Mash bananas. (You can use a potatoe masher) Add brown sugar and egg. Mix well. Add melted butter, chocolate chips and cinnamon. Mix dry ingredients together and add to wet. Stir just until mixed. (Do not overmix)

Put in muffin tins and bake 350 degrees for 20 min or until brown.

Turkish Chicken Kababs

2008-02-12T11:28:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe I got years ago off of an Italian cooking show. I just roughly wrote it down and tried it a few days later. We all loved it and I've been making it ever since. I mostly do it on the bar-b-que, but it turns out quite well under the broiler as well. Feel free to experiment with different meats and veggies.

Turkish Kababs

1 container of plain yogurt

1 tsp. of each tumaric, cumin, salt and cinnamon

2 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced

pepper to taste

1 tbsp. lemon juice

chicken breast, cut in cubes

vegetables, peeled, and chopped into bit size pieces

(I usually use onion, zuchini, mushroom, cherry tomatoes)

mix all of the spices and juice into the yogurt. Assemble kababs on wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for about 1/2 hour, or use metal skewers. Put kababs on a shallow pan and pour yogurt mixture over them. Marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Cook them on grill about 20 minutes each side or under broiler for about the same turning until veggies are soft and meat is cooked.

Creton

2008-02-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

As some of you may or may not know, I am originally from Quebec. There is not a lot I really miss about living there, but there are a few things I do. One of the things I miss is a French Canadian pate called 'Creton'. It has a very distinct smell and taste from other pates. One day I had a terrible craving for the stuff, but alas, there is none to be found anywhere in Ontario, unless of course, you live right on the border of Quebec. As I pondered the fact that I may never taste creton again, I remembered that you could find almost anything if you google it. Aha! I had never made it before, as it is readily available from any supermarket in Quebec, so I really had no idea what went into it. So, I looked over several recipes, noting the similarities between them. I happened upon a fast microwave version. I decided to give it a try. It almost seemed too easy. Voila! As soon as I got a whiff of it, I knew it was the right recipe. It passed the taste test very well, although, the next time I made it, I increased the amount of spices called for. Perfect and simple. I know the combination of spices with meat may sound unusual, but the French Canadians are famous for putting cinnamon and allspice into their recipe's that call for ground meat. Try it with toast and mustard.

The pictures don't do it justice, I must say.

Quick Microwave Cretons

1 lb. ground pork

1 cup milk

8 crushed soda crackers or 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

1 chopped onion

2 minced garlic cloves

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Put all ingredients into a microwave safe bowl.

Mix well.

Cook on High for 5 minutes.

Mix again.

Cook on High for 5 more minutes

Mix again.

Cook 3 more minutes.

Mix and let rest 6 minutes.

Process slightly in food processor. This pate should be course, so don't over process.

Chill.

Love Nest Tabbouli

2008-02-09T09:54:00.000-08:00

I've been making this recipe for Tabbouli for many years but for the life of me, I cannot recall where I got it from. However, it tastes so good and I mostly make it up at the 'Lovenest'.

Tabbouli

2 cups dried bulgar wheat

2 1/2 cups boiling water

Pour water over bulgar. Mix and let stand 1 hour.

Add:

2 cups chopped tomatoe

2 cups diced english cucumbers (washed, skins on)

1 cup chopped green onion

2 small bunches of fresh mint

1/2 cup fresh parsley

Mix Well.

Dressing:

2-3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped finely

1/2 cup (about 1 lemon) fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

2-3 drops tabasco (to taste)

salt and pepper, to taste.

Mix well. Tastes best at room temperature. You will probably need to add more salt as the salt seems to get absorbed into the bulgar.

Gingered Pears

2008-02-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

This is a wonderful recipe I got from Bambi, years ago and we are still making them. Yesterday, Holly and I cooked together.

Gingered Pears

1 lb. pears, peeled, cored and diced.

1 lb. sugar per pound of pears.

Fresh Ginger, peeled and diced. About a 4 inch knob per pound.

Toss everything into a large pot. Bring to a boil. Simmer on med heat for about an hour, until pears are clear. Put in sterile jars. Refrigerate ofter opening.