Cooking - for a new lifestyle (Our Test Kitchen)

My cousin Kim gave me this recipe. I haven't tasted it, but Mom had a jar from Kim last year and she said it was quite tasty. Ingredients 5 pint jars, washed and sterilized 10 pounds fresh asparagus, washed, cleaned and cut into 4-3/4" spears 2 cups white vinegar 2-1/2 cups water 2 tsp mustard seed 1 tbsp pickling spice, placed in a gauze bag 2 tbsp pickling salt Per jar: Dash cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp dill weed or dill seed 1/2 clove garlic 1/2 jalapeno pepper, optional 1 onion slice Place asparagus spears in boiling water and blanch for two minutes; drain and cool. Place dill, garlic, cayenne pepper, onion slice and jalapeño pepper into bottom of each jar. Pack asparagus spears upright into each jar. Combine vinegar, water, mustard seed, canning salt and bag of pickling spice into saucepan and boil for 15 minutes. Remove bag of spices and discard. Pour brine over asparagus, and seal jars. Place jars into canner of boiling water for 10 minutes. Cool. Cook's Notes: We m...

The birth of this recipe first started with a craving for chili.  I happen to think I make fairly awesome chili, so I made a big Crock-Pot full today.  (Gotta love food that cooks while you do other things, no?)  Anyway, I know my dear hubby loves cornbread, so I decided I'd surprise him and make some to go with the chili.  I'm not a fan of dry, scone-like cornbread, so this recipe does not produce that kind of result.  What you will get is a pan of moist, dense, slightly sweet cornbread that goes very well with chili :) Ingredients 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup pancake mix (not the just-add-water type) 1 cup yellow cornmeal 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg, beaten 1 cup sour cream 1/3 cup milk 2 tablespoons veg oil You can also add one can of diced green chilis, drained, or 1/2 cup chopped red pepper, or 1/2 cup shredded cheese, or a combination of these! Directions 1.In a bowl, combine dry ingredient...

I wanted to make something different and still easy for my family for breakfast this Sunday.  It doesn't get much easier than this.  It's a great idea for when you are having a bunch of people coming for breakfast and you want to serve pancakes, but don't want to stand at the stove all day.  I hope you enjoy it.  We did! Yields:  6 servings Ingredients : 2 cups pancake mix (don't use the just-add-water kind) 1 1/2 cups milk 1 egg 1tbsp vegetable oil 1-2 tsp ground cinnamon Generous 1 cup fresh or frozen berries (or 1/2 sliced bananas and 1/2 chocolate chips) butter, maple syrup and/or powdered sugar Directions: In a large bowl, combine the pancake mix, milk, egg, oil and cinnamon just until blended.  It's OK if the batter is still lumpy! Fold in berries.  Pour into a generously greased 9 x 13" pan.  Bake at 400F for 12-15 minutes or until golden.  Serve with deserved toppings.

These are great to make for a casual dinner with some buddies because you basically toss everything in the Crock-Pot and forget about it for about 7 hours.  It's only at the end that there's a few little steps but nothing too taxing!! INGREDIENTS Burritos 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed 2 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (from 7- to 11-oz can) ** I left this out because some guests cannot tolerate spicy food, but if I were making it for my family I'd include them because they impart a nice spicy, smoky flavour**  You can also just serve the burritos with hot sauce on the side 1  heaping tablespoon ground cumin 1 cup salsa, heat level to taste (I used medium) 12 flour tortillas (10 inch) Toppings sour cream shredded cheese of choice (I used old Cheddar, but Monterey Jack would be awesome too) chopped scallions Other topping options:  sliced o...

Stir 1/2 of each of these items into glass jugs 1 bottle of Arbor Mist - Pinot Grigio "Island Fuits" (cheap) 1 can McCain frozen wildberry cranberry juice (no water!) 1 bottle of soda water 2 oranges sliced ice stir. add ice if there is room and serve! Yumm. Any wine will do, but after taste testing others.... this was the best mix. "Bon Boisson!"

Mix Together: 1 10oz bag of frozen peas 1 1/2 cups cooked rice (brown or white) 2 4oz cans of shrimp 1 1/2 cups chopped celery 1/4 cup green onions Mix together for Dressing: 1/4 cup oil 1 Tbsp soya sauce 1 tsp celery seed 1 tsp salt 2 tsp curry 1/2 accent 3 Tbsp vinegar 1/2 Tbsp sugar Toss together and serve. "Bon Appetit!"

1 cup long grain white rice 1 tbsp. vegetable oil 1-1/2 cups chicken broth 1/2 onion, finely chopped 1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped 1 tomato, seeded and chopped salt and pepper to taste 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 clove garlic, finely chopped In a medium sauce pan, cook rice in oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil, Stir in onion, green pepper, jalapeno and diced tomato. Season with salt and pepper, cumin, cilantro, and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes.

These were a hit at the Cinco de Mayo party a few of us had!  So easy, and so tasty!  I think these will definitely be made again this summer.  Even without the tequila these are tasty and refreshing! 1 can Minute Maid limeade, partially frozen or frozen 1 can Minute Made lemonade, partially frozen or frozen Club soda (I didn't measure, just topped up the jug...2-3 cups if I had to guess. Optional: 1/4 cup sugar (I did not add this, as I like things tart) glasses with rims dipped in lime juice and salt Place juices in pitcher and blend using an immersion blender (or do this in a regular blender and pour into pitcher).  Add club soda CAREFULLY -- it will fizz and end up all over your friend's kitchen counter otherwise! I also added some lime slices to float in the drink Enjoy!!