Zucchini & Banana Muffins for Eileen & Robert's school snack

This recipe is originally my Mom's recipe and I have adapted it so that it is good for school snacks.  Easy to make and they freeze well. Robert and Eileen love these muffins.

Yield:  48 smaller muffins for school snacks

Temp:   350 degrees

1 cup butter - softened (leave it on the counter to warm up)

1 1/3 cup sugar 

2 egg

1 medium sized zucchini - grated

4-5 bananas ( I always like to add more bananas - this is how you get a very moist banana muffin)

• 1 cup milk or cream  
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 cups white flour
  1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

OPTION: 1 cup chocolate chips (mini chocolate chips also work well) - these are NOT necessary but the kiddies really love these added

Cream the soft butter and sugar first in a stand mixer or by hand. When creamed (really soft) add the egg and cream again. The butter tends to cling to the mixing bowl....scrape well.

Add peeled bananas and grated zucchini and continue to mix well. Continue to scrape bowl.

Add milk and vanilla and continue to mix.

Add dry ingredients now and mix well. Scraping the bowl again to remove butter that is stuck to the bowl.

Pour into greased muffin tins and bake for approximately 18 minutes (12-14 for the mini muffins).

When baked remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3-4 minutes and then place onto a cooking rack.  These muffins freeze very well for later use.  

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Easy & Quick Pasta Veggie Salad

 300 g  macaroni or any pasta you have in your cupboard

1 cucumber - diced

3 carrots (peeled) & diced

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh parsley

4 green onions - chopped 

1 can chick peas (drained and rinsed)

Cook the macaroni until just el dente (undercooked is good) and drain and cool. 

Prep vegetables, clean and peel as needed.

Chop vegetables and put into a large bowl.  Add cooled macaroni and stir.

Make an easy salad dressing and pour over salad.

Stir well and store in the fridge until time to serve.

Easy Salad Dressing

In a jar with a lid add the following:

grainy dijon mustard - 1 tblsp.

maple syrup - 3 tbsp.

balsamic vinegar - 2 tbsp.

olive oil - good drizzle 

salt & pepper - to taste

garlic salt - sprinkle

mayo - 1/4 cup

paprika - 1 tsp.

Add above to the jar and shake. Taste first and if too sour add more maple syrup or honey.

 

Ceviche Made Easy for the 'Girl's Game Night'

 This is a treat for games night. Maggie, Susan and Martha rave about it so here it is.  Simple and easy but delicious.

• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced. (into a bowl)


• sprinkle of salt onto onions
• 4-5 limes - freshly squeezed
• 1/4 serrano pepper (add more for the heat) diced very small
• 1 pound fresh fish- I really prefer a denser fish such as Halibut (fresh Pacific coast)
• 1/4–1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup fresh BC's own cherry tomatoes, sliced or cut in half 
• 1 cup diced cucumber


• splash of olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• Add sliced onions to the bowl, sprinkle with salt.
• Juice limes into the same bowl and allow the onion to marinade while you chop the rest of the ingredients.
• Always rinse fish in cold water before chopping or placing on a fresh cutting board.
• Dice the halibut into pieces that will easily fit onto a cracker when serving.
• Add halibut pieces to the onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add remaining ingredients
• and stir in the lime juice.  
• Let sit in the fridge for 2 hours while the halibut is 'cooking' in the lime juice.
• Serve with crackers or sliced baguette.
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Margaret Eileen Little RIP

Mom marching on Remembrance day in West Vancouver

My Mom, Eileen, peacefully passed away on Thursday, April 17th at the age of 98. She now joins my Dad, Ernie and my brother Bernie.  RIP Mama.

 

Mom's trifle 

Mom's yorkshire pudding recipe.  we celebrated Mom with a traditional roast beef dinner with trifle for dessert. 

Ground Beef, Tomato & Potato soup to keep us warm during the Atmospheric River

 Ground Beef  (1 1/2 lbs.) - if you use fatty ground beef, drain off the fat before continuing.

1 large onion

2 garlic gloves - chopped ( if fresh garlic is not available use dried)

1 large tin ( 796 ml) diced tomatoes

1 tin tomato paste

3 russet potatoes - peeled and diced

6 bay leaves

1 tblsp. oregano

2 tsp. paprika

1 cup orzo pasta

8 -10 cups of water or beef broth

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Saute ground beef and onions in a large soup pot. Break apart the beef so that the large chunks are gone.

Add 1 can of diced tomatoes and 1 can of tomato paste. 

Peel potatoes and dice and add to the soup pot.

Add herbs and broth or water.

If using water, add your bouillion of choice.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes.

Add seasoning if desired.

Add orzo to the finished soup.  Let the pasta absorb before serving.

Yummy!

Carrot Squash Ginger soup for Ailish

1 large onion & oil

1 butternut squash roasted first - don't bother to peel because in the end it all purees beautifully

9 carrots  pealed and chopped

slivers of fresh ginger ( to be removed before pureeing)

8 cups of chicken or veg stock or water (if using water I add 2 tbsp.+ of "Better than Bouillion" beef base.

1 large potato - cut up into chucks (this is an added thickening for this soup

3/4 cup of basmati rice

Salt & pepper to taste.

Method:

 oil to a large soup pot.

Add diced onion - any size or shape will do.

Add 2 tsp. ginger powder

Add fresh ginger - keep these slices big as they are not going to pureed.

add roasted butternut squash and chopped up carrots (again the shape doesn't matter as all of the soup will be. pureed)

Add stock or water and season with bouillon to taste.

Add rice and potato and bring to the boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Turn off heat and cool slightly.

Puree with an immersion blender ( I put the pot in the sink to avoid splashes)

To serve add stock to thin down if the soup is too thick.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pies made easy for Thankgiving!

 I cannot take full credit for these recipes as the originals are my Mom's recipes that she has used ever since coming to Canada as a war bride. I have tweaked the recipes slightly but the essence remains the same.  Thank you Eileen Little for these. To go to my original pumpkin pie YouTube video please click here.

Pastry for Pumpkin Pies

Ingredients :  full recipe  (can be cut in half if it is too much pastry at one time)

1 Lb. vegetable shortening - cold

5 Cups all- purpose Flour

1 Tsp. Baking powder

2 Tsp. Salt

1 Tbsp. Brown sugar

3 Tbsp. Vinegar  (white or malt or apple cider - whichever you have in the cupboard at the time will do)

1 Egg 

1 cup of Cold water 

This is my 98 years young Mom who taught me how to bake. Her pumpkin pie recipe is delicious.

You will need a total of 1 1/4 cups of fluid so here is how we make up the fluid. Add one egg to a 2 cup measure. Beat with a fork. Add vinegar and whisk again. Then add the very cold water  and bring the combined fluid up to 1 1/4 cups.  You may not need all this liquid, but sometimes you do depending on the moisture content of the flour and shortening.

Prep: 

Mix together flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Whisk together to remove the lumps.

Add shortening to the flour mixture and cut up shortening into the flour with a pastry cutter (see photo to the right).

Miriam's Time Saving Tip♥ I now realize after making pastry for so many years that the flakiness of your pastry is directly correlated with how well your shortening is cut into the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter helps with this process. The shortening should disappear into small chunks while keeping the flour powdery.

Prepare liquid and add 90% of the liquid to the flour mixture. Combine the liquid until it is incorporated and the pastry starts to come together into a ball. Do not over mix at this stage or your pastry will be tough. Continue to mix with your clean hands and if it is too dry add the rest of the liquid.

Roll dough up into a disc and wrap in parchment paper and then in a clean plastic bag and store in cooler until needed.

Miriam's Time Saving Tip♥ Making this pastry ahead is a great time saver. It keeps well for over a week in the fridge as long as it is wrapped well. After making pies. Freeze the leftover

pastry for use later.

Pumpkin Filling:

1 can pure pumpkin (796ml or 28 oz.) 
6 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
2 cups milk
2 tsp. cinnamon
¾ tsp. ginger
¾ tsp. allspice
¾ tsp. nutmeg
½  tsp. salt

Procedure:

Heat milk until hot but not boiled.
In a large bowl or with a stand mixer whisk eggs and sugar until well blended. You can easily do this by hand....a mixer is not necessary.

Add pure pumpkin from the can, spices, and salt. Mix until well combined.
Add hot milk to the pumpkin & spice combination. Stir or whisk until combined.
Pour into unbaked pastry pie shells (recipe above) just up to the fluted edges (don’t
overfill).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake pie on the middle shelf of the oven for approximately 40 minutes until the filling is baked and set. Usually the filling when set has a slight convex appearance to it.
Serve hot or cold.  Refrigerate unused pie after cooled to preserve the freshness.

Foodsafe Tip: to ensure your leftover pies are safe to eat the next day, always refrigerate pies after dinner. Any harmful bacteria will be minimized by properly cooling and storing of your pies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEAlJG0w06U

Roasted cream cheese & tomato pasta bake

My friend Susan really wants me to post this recipe...it is a winner for sure and so easy. So here it is. Enjoy!

Serves 6-8

 1 large baking dish - spray baking dish with non stick spray

1 block cream cheese - any kind ( or use 2 'borsin' rounds)

cherry tomatoes - 2 small baskets - washed and left whole

1/2 red onion - sliced thin

herbs & spices of choice ( I use salt and pepper, fresh thyme if available, Italian seasoning, garlic)

olive oil - 1/2 cup

whole garlic bulb

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth.

pasta of choice - 3/4 lb. around 300G. - boil ahead to 3/4 done, drain and set aside. I have used bowtie, tortellini filled pasta, spiral, linguini 

options:  mushrooms, zucchini, and spinach work well.

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees

Add cream cheese to the center of the coated baking dish. Sprinkle tomatoes & onions around the edge.

Add options vegetables here  to roast if desired.

Pour olive oil over tomatoes etc.

Add herbs and spices of choice.

into the hot oven for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare pasta but do not cook all the way,

Drain pasta.

When tomato mixture is roasted remove from oven. Remove garlic bulb and squirt roasted garlic into tomato mixture and stir well. Discard the casing of the garlic bulb.

Add cooked pasta and broth and stir again and return to oven for 25 minutes. 20 minutes into this time is the time to add the fresh spinach if using, stir well and continue roasting for 5 minutes.

Serve hot.

Honey & sweet potatoe Muffins for Eileen & Robert.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

 2 cups of all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3 tsp. cinnamon

dash of nutmeg (1/16 of a teaspoon)

1/2 cup milk (almond milk works well too )

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup veg. oil

1 1/2 cups cooked mashed potatoes

1 apple crated 

Bake or steam sweet potatoes first. Peel when cooled and then mash the sweet potatoes.

Grate one apple (no need to peel).

Add dry ingredients into a bowl. Stir well.

In a separate bowl add all the wet ingredients including the mashed sweet potatoes and grated apple. Stir well until well combined.

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.

Spray muffin tins with 'baking' spray.

Bake for approximately 18 minutes.

Gingerbread Angel Food Cake from cousin Susan F. for Christmas

 

Bake at 375 for 35- 45 minutes

1 cup cake flour 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp ginger

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp cream of tartar
2 cups egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
1 1⁄2 cups sugar divided
2 tsp orange peel grated fine

Sift together 3⁄4 cup sugar with flour, cream of tartar, cinnamon, ginger and allspice
Beat whites until frothy, Beat until light and opaque. Slowly add 3⁄4 cup sugar, add vanilla and orange peel and beat until very light Gently fold flour mixture into egg whites in 3 additions. Careful to not overfold (don’t want to deflate the egg whites)

Delicately spoon mixture into ungreased 10” tube pan
Bake for 35 - 45 minutes until cake tester comes to clean and top of cake springs back when lightly touched
Leave cake in pan and invert on cake pan feet until cool (air needs to circulate underneath)
To remove cake from pan, use a long thin knife to loosen edges of cake from pan. Then loosen bottom of tube from pan with knife

Serve with Caramel Sauce and Whipped rum cream.

Caramel Sauce

2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1.5 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup butter

Stir the water and sugar together in medium sized saucepan. Cover and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Remove lid and cook without stirring, until the mixture turns a light golden colour (this takes about 40 minutes at a med-high heat). Remove from heat. Pour cream through sieve, standing well back. When sputtering subsides, whisk in butter.

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Whip Cream Sauce Base

Base can be made day before. Whip the cream just before serving the cake and mix base and whip cream together

4 Tbsp butter
2 cups icing sugar
1 egg yolk well beaten 2 tsp vanilla
1 1⁄2 cup whipped cream

Cream butter and sugar, add egg and vanilla. Fold in whipped cream add brandy or rum.

Borscht inspired by Auntie Baba

Aunty Angie (Auntie Baba as wee Eileen calls her) is one of the best cooks around and this is an adaptation from her cook book she compiled and gave to members of the family. Her cook book is safe in Vancouver but because I am in Calgary I am doing my best to remember how her recipe goes.  Thanks Auntie Angie for the best recipes ever! Lots of love!

3 tbsp. olive oil

All vegetables are always rinsed, peeled and diced before using.

 2 small onions - diced

4 stocks celery - diced

2 carrots - peeled and diced

3 Yukon gold potatoes - not peeled and diced

8 cups fresh beets peeled diced or spiralized ( This time I bought fresh spiralized beets from the Coop. These are fresh beets that are already cut up which makes making soup so much easier. I have also seen these fresh beets at Whole Foods) SAVE 2 CUPS OF FRESH BEETS to add at the very end. When the soup is finished....open the lid of the pressure cooker safely and add the fresh 2 cups of fresh diced beets.  This will add color and flavor to your already completed soup.  No need to cook any more.

fresh dill or 2 tbsp. dried dill

2 bay leafs

salt & pepper

4 cups chicken stock (use vegetable stock if desired)

4 cups water

1 tbsp. 'Better Than Bouillon' chicken concentrate.

This time I used an instant pot as it is so much easier and quicker to make soup.

Turn instant pot onto sauté first.

Add diced onion, carrots, celery and sauté until onions are semi transparent.

Add beets, potatoes, dill and bay leafs.

Continue to stir in all the vegetables.

Add chicken stock and chicken concentrate and water. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Turn off instant pot and then press 'pressure cook' setting. Set the timer for 20 minutes and close the lid.

Allow to pressure cook for 20 minutes and then allow to cool down or press the lever on the top to release the steam carefully as this can scald very easily.  

Open the lid and add 2 cups of fresh cup up beets.

Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Add a dollop of sour cream to each bowl of Borscht when serving.  

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes thanks to Derek

Derek's Christmas morning pancakes 

2 lemons

2 cups flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs

3 tbsp. melted butter

2 cups fresh blueberries - wash and set aside as these go on top of the pancakes on the griddle.

Zest lemon into a bowl and add the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix well

Add all the wet ingredients to another bowl including the juice of 2 lemons. Beat well.

Add wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. Set aside while the griddle or pan is heating up.

Ladle 1/4 cup of the batter onto the hot griddle for each pancake. Sprinkle the raw pancake rounds with blueberries and cook until little bubbles form on the batter.

Flip over each pancake and cook until golden brown.

Serve hot with syrup, jam, whip cream, or any topping you desire.

Thanks Derek for the tasty Christmas Morning pancakes.

 

Cinnamon Buns 'Land of Nod' style from The Best of Bridge Cookbook

 

This is a winner recipe to serve when you have a crowd. Easy to make and very easy to serve Thanks to the 'Best of Bridge'

20 frozen dough rolls

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vanilla instant pudding

2-3 tbsp. cinnamon

1/4 - 1/2 melted butter

options: raisins, pecans, apple chunks 

Grease a 10" bundt pan and add the frozen bread rolls.

Sprinkle with brown sugar, pudding, cinnamon. 

Pour melted butter over all.

Cover with a clean damp cloth and leave on the counter to proof at room temperature.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 350° and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let the buns sit for 5 minutes and then turn upside down onto a serving platter.

Thanks to 'The Best of Bridge Publishing Ltd.' for the Best of the Best & more cookbook.

French Toast - Baked - overnight easy recipe

 serves 6 for breakfast

left over bread of any kind

10 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 tbsp. vanilla

1-2 tbsp. cinnamon (our family loves cinnamon so I tend to use the 2 tbsp.)

1/4 cup maple syrup

Grease a 8 X 13 glass baking dish and line the bottom with the leftover bread that has been sliced.

Beat eggs, milk, vanilla, and syrup well. 

Sprinkle cinnamon onto bread first and then pour egg mixture on top of the bread.

Cover well and hold in fridge overnight. In the morning remove from the fridge and let stand on the counter for 1/2 an hour.

Bake at 375° for 30 minutes until the eggs are not runny.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies for Aunty Angie

Today I am baking with a treasure that Aunty Andrea found on the top shelf of her downstairs cold room. Anna Borys (Baba), my kids grandma, kept her original 'Sunbeam Mixmaster' in mint condition and I have the pleasure of using it today to mix up a batch of these cookies for Aunty Angie who is recovering in the University hospital. 

Baba's Sunbeam Mixmaster

Yield:  80 small cookies

Ingredients:

1/2  lb. butter (1 cup) - room temperature (I use salted or non salted, which ever one I have in the house at the time)

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar 
2 cups flour 
2 eggs
1 tbsp. Vanilla
2 cup large oat flakes (not instant) 
1 cup coconut flakes
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1  tsp. Salt
2 1/2 cup of chocolate chips 

1. In a mixer, cream butter and sugars together.
2. Add eggs and vanilla and continue to mix. 

3. Add all the dry ingredients and mix well with your mixer of choice. I am so very happy to be using Baba's today.

 4. Add chocolate chips and mix well again.

5. Scoop to bake

Bake cookies at 350° for 10-12 minutes (bake for 12 min. if you like them crispy)

Miriam's Time Saving Tip♥

Bake the cookies or for a great time saver roll the dough in parchment paper and store in a large zip lock to freeze for later use.

Frittata for World Cup Game Day for Auntie Andrea

Serves 6 people

12 eggs

1 cup milk

1 1/4 cups shredded cheese - save 1/4 cup  for a garnish before placing in the oven

tomatoes (any kind) 1 cup diced (I used cherry tomatoes that were left over from last nights charcuterie tray)

Left overs from the fridge included: 

sliced ham & salami 6 slices - sliced thin

bell pepper - 3/4 cup diced

artichoke hearts (from the jar) - 1/2 cup

green onion diced - 4 - save a little for a garnish before going into oven

baguette - dried and left over from last night - 12 slices

salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp. hot sauce (optional) 

Process:

grease the 8 X13 baking dish

Line the bottom of the dish with leftover bread or baguette (thin sliced bread)

In a large bowl add eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt & pepper. Whisk together and set aside.

Sprinkle evenly onto the bread in the baking dish the diced green onion, meat, artichokes, peppers, cheese.

Pour the egg mixture on top of the bottom layers, gently so as not to disturb the placement of all of the ingredients.

Sprinkle the top with shredded cheese and green onion.

Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350°F (180°C). You will know it is properly baked when the eggs have risen and are puffy and the center is firm and not runny.

Allow to sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy.

Miriam's Time Saving Tip♥ This recipe is a crowd pleaser and can be prepared the night before and held in the fridge overnight. Cover with plastic wrap first. 

Remove from the fridge 1/2 an hour before baking time and bake as per above instructions.

Aunty Andrea enjoying the World Cup.

Shortbread Cookies - melt in your mouth

Thanks to 'The Endless Meal' for this recipe that I have just tried and believe me it is delicious and so easy. I add a bit more powdered sugar to my recipe and I used a little touch of almond extract as I ran out of vanilla. Either flavor would be awesome in this recipe.

Please click here to go to the original recipe on 'The Endless Meal' blog.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups all-purpose flour - sifted flour is better
• 2 cups butter (1lb.) - room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar - always sift icing sugar when using it in baking
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/4 tsp. almond
•  coloured sprinkles (green & red) for Christmas adds a nice touch.

Mix flour, butter, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla/almond together in a bowl. I use a stand mixer but this equipment is not necessary.

Mix well and when the dry ingredients are mixed in beat until light and fluffy and it looks like cookie dough.

Scooping/Rolling 

I rolled my dough out on a lightly floured surface and cut into rounds, or Christmas trees.  Just before baking I sprinkle with the red and green sprinkles.

Bake at 350 ° for 10 -12 minutes.