Cooking - for a new lifestyle (Our Test Kitchen)

I froze some asparagus and never got around to using it. New Years organizing required me to get my freezer in order. So I looked up a recipe for frozen asparagus soup and altered it to use items I had. IT WAS YUMMMMMMMMMY. Ingredients: 2 packages (12 ounces each) frozen cut asparagus 1/2 onion or leek Cook gently on medium/high until limp. Puree and set aside. Add some of the milk below if necessary. 1/4 cup butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1-1/2 teaspoons salt 3/4 to 1 teaspoon pepper 1 package of nacho cheese powder OR 1 cup monterey jack cheese Stir together until it creates a paste. 4 cups milk In a large pot start bringing milk to a boil. Add your cheese paste. Whisk well. Add the pureed asparagus. Optional: 4 to 5 drops hot pepper sauce Serve with crumbled bacon and extra cheese. "Bon Appetit!"

4 tbsp. margarine/butter 8 cups shaved carrot 4 stalks chopped celery 1 chopped red onion 2-4 tbsp. gingerbread seasoning or 8 tbsp. fresh grated ginger Melt butter in large saucepan on medium. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until onion is softened. 12 cups vegetable stock 4 tbsp. honey 1 tsp salt 1tsp pepper Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil Reduce heat to medium/low Simmer covered for 50 minutes stirring occasionally Process with hand blender until it is the desired consistency ** you can puree in blender until smooth. 1 cup whole grain rice Boil to desired doneness Add to soup Stir well and serve NOTE: This recipe called for me to add the rice to the soup with the salt and pepper using the soup to cook the rice and then puree EVERYTHING. I have changed the instructions for the likes of our family. I partly pureed the soup and will add the rice before serving. "Bon Appetit!"

1 brick cream cheese 3/4 cup of pumpkin pie filling 1 cup powdered sugar blend together well chill well! overnight if possible. roll in crushed cookie crumbs serve with sliced apples, or small cookies. Bon appetite!

I am a lazy baker. BUT I love serving homemade food. This recipe I mixed IN MY BREADMAKER, on QUICKDOUGH, but baked in a conventional oven. My first attempt with this recipe, the dough was very dry, but the second batch I used the following recipe and the dough was perfect. 4 level cups flour 1 1/2 tbsp sugar/honey 1/2 tbsp. baking soda 1/2 tbsp baking powder Combine Pour into breadmaker if you are using NOW. in a measuring cup: 1 3/4 cups water 2 tbsp. oil 1 tbsp. vinegar (I used cider) Combine in your bowl or pour into an already started QUICKDOUGH setting (6 minutes) Heat oven to 400. Pour dough out onto a VERY LIGHTLY floured surface. Cut dough in 1/2. Knead each ball gently for 2 minutes (no need to overdo it). Shape into round ball about 1 1/2 inches high. With a sharp knife make an X in the top of the dough. Bake 40 minutes. When you take it out, while it is still hot, glaze with melted butter. **This will not only fl...

Tis the season. Squash is plentiful AND a good price! But after a while you need something different to do with it. I was inspired by the shape. Cut off the neck of the squash which will result in 1 pc being long and narrow and one looking much like a bowl of seeds Remove the seeds, wash and leave to dry on a paper towel Wash the "bowl shaped" piece, turn upside down and put in the microwave for 5 minutes Now take the narrow piece and slice into round thick steaks (I left the skin ON) Rub in your favourite oil (I used vegetable oil but flavoured oils would be really yummy too) Place on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with Italian seasoning and black pepper Bake the slices for about 10 minutes (you'll hear the oil sizzling) and flip them over for about 20 minutes then turn over one more time for another 10 minutes at about 350+ In a large dutch oven, cook up 2 lbs of ground beef, pork, chicken or turkey with some onion, green pepper, and a can of corn. When i...

MY  Mexican rice Mix all ingredients in an oversize bowl, set aside until serving. If using a green tomato this will be a semi dry mixture. Refrigerate if necessary for preparation way ahead of dinner. Ingredients: 4 or 5 cups of cooked, rinsed and cooled rice 1 can of salad bean mix or black turtle beans 1 can of drained corn (or equal in frozen corn) 2 stalks of celery diced 1-2 onions diced 1 red pepper diced 1 green tomato diced (you can use red if you prefer) Mix the following ingredients together in a sealable bowl or cup and refrigerate. Dressing: 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar 2/3 cup canola oil 4 pickled jalepeno pepper rounds (due to spice problems here we used just dill pickle juice) 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon cumin A nice alternative to potato or macaronni salad this summer. "Bon Appetit!"

Zesty Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken John is sick of puddings So we are being creative to give him some texture! Original recipe: 6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1 (12 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce Directions: Place chicken in a slow cooker.  In a bowl, mix the barbecue sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken. Cover Cook 3 to 4 hours on High (or 6 to 8 hours on Low.) Now for our purposes, we will be dicing the chicken for our toothless member of the family. We served it with mashed potatoes and creamed carrots. BUT It was really yummy as an open faced sandwich when John was not looking! "Bon Appetit!"

This was super easy. In a large deep skillet or dutch oven: melt 1/2 cup butter Add: 1 cup diced onions 2 diced raw potatoes (or 2 cups frozen hash browns) 1 1/2 cups water Cover and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes or until potatoes are fully cooked. Add: 1 small can of corn (or cream corn) 1/2 bag frozen baby scallops 1/2 bag frozen baby shrimp 3 tbsp of your favourite seasoning (I used bacon and chives) Continue cooking on medium and stirring. Add: 1 cup of milk or cream I then used an immersion blender to break it down a bit. John said it was definitely a do again... especially when he can enjoy non-pureed seafood! "Bon Appetit!"

SOOOOO easy but needs time to refrigerate! Unfortunately, I forgot to tell Judy to cut the cold water in 1/2 so our jello was a little too liquid to hold the cubed shapes. Although mine LOOKED like soup, it was still super DELICIOUS. *1 box jell-o *1 container cool whip *1 can mandarin oranges *1 can crushed pineapple *coconut flakes nice bowl/serving dishes Step 1: Drain 1 can of pineapple and 1 can mandarin oranges, removing as much liquid as you can from the pineapple ***Let sit to the side in a strainer while jello sets. Step 2: Sprinkle fruit with coconut (amount of your choice) Step 3: Make any colour jello package with 1 cup boiling water and 1/2 a cup of cold water. then REFRIGERATE well. Step 3: In large serving bowl mix 1 almost thawed container of cool whip/no name whip topping to the fruit DO NOT mix hard! just gently Step 4: Cut your jello with a knife into cubes and drop into cool whip/fruit mixture. Serve as an appetizer or ...

In a large saucepan: fry 4 sausages either cubed or in thin rings until "just" cooked add 2 cups of chicken, vegetable or beef broth  ensure to scrape the pan bottom add 3 more cups of liquid I now added 1 package of SUNSET GOURMET roasted red pepper corn chowder mix. Mix of plump corn, potatoes, red pepper and onions. Hearty corn chowder with a hint of heat. Gluten-Free Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add 1 cup of heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2. I served this over mashed potatoes (baked potatoes would be good too), and fresh bread. "Bon appetit!"

Homemade French Fries Ingredients: potatoes, peeled and cut to your preference pot of boiling water baking sheet ziploc bags Instructions: Peel and slice potatoes to your preference of frie style. Place fries in boiling water and boil for 6 minutes. While fries are boiling label bags with date and French Fries. Once fries are done boiling place in strainer. Next put them on baking sheet making sure they do not touch. Place in freezer uncovered for an hour. Then pull them out and place in baggies and store in freezer for up to 6 months. To prepare them: Place on baking sheet.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until crispy.  **You can also use a deep fryer  - Just heat oil to 350 and fry 3-4 minutes. "Bon Appetit!"

Just like the reduced table at the grocery store, Sometimes that is what your crisper looks like in the fridge! Consider this easy way to mass produce a ton of stuff! In a canning pot or the biggest pot you have: Toss all forms of veggie left overs in. In my case it was some leftover potatoes, carrots and turnip from dinner the night before, the stalks of asparagus, broccoli and cauliflower (reserved the florets for freezing), the last bit of celery, a 1/2 a red pepper and a 1/2 an onion. This can also include any meat bones or turkey carcass. That is a stock. I chose to do a veggie stock. I boiled and added water for most of the 3 hours I was cooking other things. Now, you can strain out the veggies (and do it again ~ which I did ~ making a weaker stock) Cool and use or freeze. Personally I pulled out the asparagus and celery (too stringy) and pureed the whole thing! To this I added a head of broccoli florets (or a bag of frozen) and stirred well. ...

Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour (sifted) 4 tsps baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsps shortening 3 tbsps peanut butter 2/3 cup whole milk DIRECTIONS Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Combine shortening and peanut butter and cut then into flour mixture with a knife or pastry blender until thoroughly mixed. Add milk to make a soft dough (DO NOT OVER MIX). Turn dough on to a LIGHTLY floured board and knead slightly. Roll 1/2-3/4 inch thick and cut with a floured cookie cutter. Place biscuits on an UNGREASED baking sheet 1-1&1/2-inches apart if crusty biscuits are desired (if touching, then the biscuits will be "soft-sided"). Bake in a hot oven (425°F-450°F) for 10-15 minutes. Served these with homemade strawberry jam...... "Bon Appetit!"

3 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 1/4 c. milk 1/2 c. shredded cheese  **You can use 1 can of condensed cheese soup instead (I also added 3 tbsp of onion blossom horseradish dip from Sunset Gourmet) http://sunsetgourmet.ca/products/condiments-sauces-spreads/onion-blossom-horseradish-dip/ 1/2 lb fried ground hamburger 1/2 med. green or red pepper, chopped  1/2 onion sliced thinly  1 pkg. frozen French fried crinkle cut potatoes 1/2 cup shredded cheese For sauce, in a large saucepan melt the butter. Stir in flour and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add half of the shredded cheese, stirring until cheese melts.  In a baking dish sprinkle ground beef, toss peppers and onions as desired on top. Pour sauce over meat. Cover and chill. Throw frozen fries over the meat/cheese mixture and bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until potatoes are tender and mixture ...

makes 4 servings (I doubled the filling of this recipe) 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 cloves garlic, mashed 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon reduced-fat cream cheese 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 pound ground turkey 1 1/2 cups hot water 1/2 cup elbow macaroni 1 can corn kernels or 1/2 cup of frozen 1 (1.25 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix paprika Directions Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add cauliflower; cover and steam until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir garlic until softened, about 2 minutes. Blend cauliflower, garlic, Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. ...

Seafood Coquille St. Jacques Part of growing up with a fussy eater like my mother, meant we never tried new things. Once I got older I decided to be more adventurous! Even just last year, although I am a registered, voting member of the "don't like fish" club, I tried John's meals (bravely) and learned I actually LIKE ocean fish! ***guess I am going to get kicked out of the club*** I tried mahi mahi, tilapia and the last time we went I actually ordered a plate of red snapper!!!!!!!!! I have tried and liked crab, shrimp, lobster, shark and alligator. I have tried mussels, octopus, squid, eel, clams, cod, perch and haddok with no real fondness. I will eat battered fish on occasion but it is not my go to meal. This however is a dish I learned to make years and years ago. Personally, I have not found anyone who did not enjoy it, and I KNOW Aunt Sandra is going to be thrilled when she gets a serving of it! SO!  it is super super easy to m...

Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate-Chocolate Bar Cookies These are some of the best chocolate cookies I’ve ever made. When you’re really craving chocolate and nothing else will do, make these. The cookies are deep, dark, indulgent, and cream cheese helps them stay extra soft and moist. Use old-fashioned brick-style cream cheese. You can use lite brick-style, but not fat-free. Corrnstarch gives them softbatch-style softness and they stay that way for days, but don’t overbake them. The cookies are decadent, dense, and wonderfully thick. INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 2 ounces (1/4 cup) brick-style cream cheese 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 tablespoon brewed coffee (leftover from the morning brew okay) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 cup hot chocolate 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional) 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 3 tbsp cocoa powder 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon...

Hide the veggies!!!! 2015 is a year I plan to do MORE cooking and buying less premade. I think one of the basics I need to master is spaghetti sauce as that is one of John's favourite meals AND not something he can have in the truck during the week. Although it is easy enough to get at any truck stop diner, watered down sauce and overcooked pasta is JUST not the same. SO what can I do differently. John loves my cooking. I am not a bad cook, but have become supremely lazy in past years. This was today's sauce: 1 can of tomatoes diced (now when veggies are plentiful and inexpensive these will be fresh) $0.99 1 bunch of green onions (I like the colour -chunkily chopped) $0.79 2 regular onions (chunkily chopped) $0.50 1/2 of a bunch of celery (chunkily chopped) $1 1 green pepper (chunkily chopped) $1 1/2+ cup of parmesan or romano cheese $1 generous amount of your favourite Italian seasonings 2 tsp garlic 2 cups of water subtotal $4.28 **** and w...

Great for leftovers! In a pot: Melt 1/4 cup of butter with 1 sliced/diced onion Mix in 1/4 cup flour 2 tbsp black pepper 2 tsp of poultry seasoning Add: 2 cups chicken boullion 1 cup milk (I added 1/2 cup leftover cheeseball to add flavour) Cook on medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. Add 2 cups diced cooked chicken/turkey Remove from heat. In a rectangular casserole dish place: 1 bag hash browns 1 can corn kernels (canned or frozen) 1 cup of diced carrots (fresh or frozen) 2 cups of finely diced cauliflower and brocolli (frozen or fresh) Give your sauce a quick stir and then pour over the vegetables. Top the whole casserole with: 1 tube of Pillsbury pizza dough Bake at 300 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. "Bon Appetit!"

Got leftover soup?????? I had leftover cream of potato soup, but just about any cream of "?" soup would work 2-3 cups of diced meat (ham, turkey, sausage.... your choice) 2 tbsp of seasoning (I used poultry because I chose turkey.... use whatever will work) 1 onion (sliced) 4 large carrots (grated) *** frozen peas would be a nice addition or broccolli 1/2 - whole bag of frozen hash brown potatoes 4 + cups leftover cream soup 1 cup of shredded cheese (optional) In a casserole dish (I uses my rectangular pampered chef dish),  cover bottom the diced meat you chose (I used turkey) Sprinkle with appropriate seasoning cover with sliced onion cover with carrot shavings top with still frozen hash brown potatoes pour soup to cover sprinkle cheese on top Bake at 350 for about an hour. Serve with crusty bread. "Bon Appetit!"