Cooking - for a new lifestyle (Our Test Kitchen)

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!"

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!"

Grilled Cheese fast and yummy! I love everything about a grilled cheese sandwich. Enough that I have many styles and ways to make them! I own a sandwich maker. Loved it! But it is a messy, messy machine and no real way to clean it properly. Recently though I was told a new way to make them and after many attempts I have decided I will never make a grilled cheese any other way! Number 1! You can make numerous sandwiches at the same time. Bake them on low or you will end up with very crunchy edges. (as shown) 300 degrees seems to work on my oven. Number 2! In all my attempts I have not yet burned one! AND I have never had messy burnt cheese to clean up either. That means you can have a cheesy sandwich using less cheese. Number 3! It works with meat and cheese or just cheese. We like ours being stuffed with almost everything. We like onions, peppers or tomatoes! Number 4! My family loves them done this wa...

Lemon Pepper  Acini di Pepe This small, round pasta is named for its resemblance to peppercorns, so why not pair it with black pepper, which, along with lemon, adds brightness to the parmesan?  The pasta is VERY starchy! I ended up rinsing it and it turned out fine. I believe replacing the recipe with couscous or other smallish pastas will work the same. ingredients 2 cups  acini di pepe 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 1/2 cup shredded old cheddar (optional) 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest 2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper preparation Cook  acini in a large pot of boiling salted water (2 teaspoons salt for 8cups water) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and rinse. Melt butter in same pot with lemon, pepper and cheese.  Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water. Add pasta and stir. "Bon Appetit!"

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!"

These pork tenderloins go on sale often, ours was about $4! So this is an inexpensive recipe to make. Will work with pork chops too. 2 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp curry 1/4 tsp chilli powder ( I used Pam's from this blog) 1/4 tsp black pepper 3lb pork tenderloin 1/4 cup water 1 can of fruit (peaches was called for but I used blackberries) 2tbsp vinegar 1/8 tsp nutmeg 1/8 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp mustard Combine first 4 items in a large bowl. Coat pork with spice mix and place into a roasting pan (with lid) with water. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until meat is no longer pink. For sauce: Stir water and juices in roaster removing bits of pork and drippings. I put the pork in the oven on broil to crisp up the topping a bit while I made the sauce. Add the last 4 items on med-high heat stirring often until hot and reduced a bit to consistency that makes you happy (thinner or thicker). I added a bit of cornstach to thicken. Makes about 2 cups of sauce and smells ...

NO DOUGH PIZZA!!!!!!!  This one is a WINNER!!!! Gluten Free, Low Carb, Diabetic Friendly!!!!!! For when you absolutely want pizza but not all the carbs!!!!!!! Crust 1 (8 oz) package of full fat cream cheese, room temperature 2 eggs 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp garlic powder 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese Topping 1/2 cup pizza sauce 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese toppings - pepperoni, ham, sausage, mushrooms, peppers Garlic powder Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spay a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.  With a handheld mixer, mix cream cheese, eggs, pepper, garlic powder and parmesan cheese until combined. Spread into baking dish.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, our until golden brown.  Allow crust to cool for 10 minutes. Spread pizza sauce on crust.  Top with cheese and toppings.  Sprinkle pizza with garlic powder.  *Add toppings as desired Bake 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted. "Bon Appetit!"

French Toast Breakfast Muffins.  These are amazing!! Taste exactly like French toast!!! Made with skim milk and light butter was only 121 calories a muffin if you make 12!  1/3 c. butter  melted  1/2 c. sugar 1 egg (preferably room temperature)  1 1/2 c. all purpose flour  1 1/2 tsp. baking powder  1/2 tsp. salt  1/4 tsp. nutmeg  1/2 c. milk  Topping (option: cut topping in half*)  1/2 c. sugar  1/2 c. butter melted  1 tsp. cinnamon  Preheat oven to 350F.  In a medium-large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients.  Add wet ingredients and stir just until combined,  but still a bit lumpy.  Do NOT overmix; overmixing will ruin the texture of the finished muffins.  Scoop batter into muffin tins that have sprayed with cooking spray.  Using a large ice cream scoop, I got 8 medium-large muffins out of this batter; I thi...

I played with all kinds of words like filling, curd, topping, jam....and this is exactly what I meant.  A compote is an easy fruit topping that can go over waffles (hmmmmm) cake, ice cream.....whatever. It has an exquisite sweetness and bulk of the berry. Almost jam, but not quite so thick. Takes only 20 minutes! 3/4 cup orange juice 2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch  2 cups frozen blackberries  1/2 cup sugar  Pinch cinnamon  Pinch ground cloves In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the orange juice with the cornstarch. Set aside. Put the blackberries in a small saucepan with the sugar, the remaining orange juice, the cinnamon and cloves. Bring to a simmer over low heat and continue simmering 1 minute. Stir the cornstarch mixture and add it to the compote. Simmer, stirring from the bottom until thickened, or about 3 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. We served this after a pasta dinner over lemon poppyseed cake with fresh wh...

I had expected to bbq today (while the sun was shining) but as I sent John to the grocery store... I must work with what he bought NOT what I expected to get. So I had a $6 package of boneless skinless chicken breast fillets, and a bag of frozen string beans. So, in a greased loaf pan lay 6-8 fillets cover with swiss or cheddar cheese (sliced or shredded) mix 1/2 cup of milk with 1can of cream soup and pour over chicken OR in 2 cups of milk mix 1 package of chicken gravy and pour over In a bowl mix one package of stove top stuffing and seasoning with onions and celery (diced finely), then pour into the loaf pan. top with some melted butter. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. I served with pan fried string beans and baked potato cubes with onions. John aske for e to make it again! "Bon Appetit!"

I made this soscuisine.com recipe up the other night. It is supposed to make 4 servings but it actually seems to be enough to feed a small banquet. Hal didn't like it, but Hal doesn't like zucchini or eggplant. I loved it. The recipe won't freeze well and I didn't want it to go to waste, so I took the leftover ratatouille and some red quinoa to Ladies Day Out. All the ladies seemed to enjoy it. So, here goes . . . 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, pressed 1 cup green beans, cut into 2 cm pieces 2 zucchini, diced into 1.5 cm squares 1 eggplant, small, diced into 1.5 cm squares 1 yellow or red pepper, cut into 1.5 cm squares 1 carrot, cut into 1.5 cm squares salt and pepper to taste 300 g firm tofu, cubed 1-1/4 cup canned diced tomatoes 1 tsp Herbs aux Provence 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper Heat oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Saute the crushed garlic and chopped onion, taking care not to burn. Cook 4-5 minutes until the onion ...

I am posting this recipe strictly for my mother's benefit! It was always a laugh on holidays, when the lemon meringue pie was taken out for dessert. Everyone always wanted to know who made it. If it was my mother or Grandmother (quite often), it would be lemon meringue soup! Although my Grandmother could make those pretty golden beads of sugar appear on her meringue that I find impossible to recreate. So here is my no-fail recipe, which ALWAYS has worked for me, and is ON the box. Bake one pie shell. Homemade, pillsbury, frozen or cookie crumb. In a large bowl, 2 egg yolks and 1/3 cup cold water. WHISK it lightly, then add i box of Dr. Oetker lemon pie filling (Shirriff) and 2 cups of boiling water. Beat well and place bowl in microwave. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove whisk well again and place back into microwave for 2 minutes. Repeat this procedure (usually 2-4 times) or until it is thick. Add 2 tbsp of butter (or margarine). ****This used to be to enhance the colour (margarine used ...

I seen this on tv last night! As you would normally do, prepare 4 slices of bread (4 per burger) to make 2 grilled cheese sandwiches! Over the cheese on one sandwich lay sliced cooked bacon or sprinkle crumbled cooked bacon and close. Set aside. Over the cheese on the other sandwich, add jalapenos or onions, or leave plain. Close and set aside. Cook your hamburgers as you would normally. When they are 1/2 cooked, make your grilled cheese sandwiches. Use the sandwiches instead of buns! Top with traditional toppings. ***We found lettuce a little too hard to handle, and we all removed it, as it made the burgers slide too much. "Bon Appetit!"

This is so simple I don't even look up the recipe anymore! 2 cups chocolate (you can use squares, wafers, bars, left over easter bunnies or foil wrapped balls) 1 cup butterscotch chips (I prefer 1/2 of a cup or none) vegetable oil 2 cup peanut butter (smooth is best but crunchy will work) 2 cup mini marshmallows (coloured looks nice) 1 greased cookie sheet Put a pot on very low heat on the stove empty (this is to ensure there is no dampness in the metal ~ water damages chocolate). Heat pot. Add small amounts of chocolate and stir from the bottom constantly. *** If your chocolate looks grainy, add small amounts of vegetable oil. Cheaper chocolate will need more oil....Just keep adding as needed. Melt thoroughly with the butterscotch chips (if used). Add peanut butter. Turn off heat and stir until mixture is smooth. Pour into a small greased cookie sheet and spread evenly. Place marshmallows on top of chocolate in rows so when you cut into squares each will get a marshmallow. Press i...

I love this recipe because it is sooooo easy. In a large pot: 1 whole green pepper 1 whole onion 1/2 bag mini carrots 4 stalks celery s&p 8 cups water boullion cubes or chicken soup mix Bring to a boil. Puree veggies with soup using an emulsion blender (or blend this after it cools down in a blender), making a slightly thicker soup base. (you can hide lots of veggies in there!) Put back into large pot. Add 4 tbsp of curry powder if you want. If someone doesn't like curry, sprinkle on individual bowls at serving time. Add cooked chicken (boneless/skinless) or leftover chicken/turkey....I plan to try this with sausage removed from the casings and fried up too. Bring to a boil. Add 3 cups of rice to pot. Stir until rice is edible.....THIS WILL HAPPEN! the soup part disappears! I just keep adding water. LOL This dish reheats well in the microwave and warms tummies when it is cold. "Bon Appetit!"

The idea of this is you can prep everything ahead of time and clean the kitchen. You will only have a few bowls to wash in the end. In a pot boil enough rice for your diners. When rice is done to your taste, rinse quickly in cold water **This will stop further cooking (and cut down on stach and stickiness). Set aside until dinner time. In same pot you cooked rice, on med heat 2 tsp vegetable oil about 1/2 cup of thin soup noodles 1"ish (or broken spaghetti) about 1/2 cup chopped almonds, cashews, pecans or pistachios Essentially you are going to fry these noodles creating vermicelli! Watch carefully and when you start to see colour, remove from heat or you will have VERY well done noodles....) and cool/drain on a paper towel. Set aside until it is dinner time. On a large plate dice up a cheap steak into small cubes **You can use chicken, pork or sausage as well Set aside until it is dinner time In bowl #1 diced carrots, corn, water chestnuts **Any hard core veggies that need extra...

We needed a vegetable last night and this one popped into my head at the last second. It is fast and Judy says she loves this....so, add another veggie to her "like" list. 1 green tomato (we used plum)sliced into rings 1 tsp oil 1/4 tsp garlic 1/4 tsp italian seasoning S&P ***for each person eating In a hot fry pan add oil and garlic. On med setting place rings of tomato into oil. Sprinkle with seasoning. When tender (about 1/2 cooked through) flip and repeat seasoning. Do not cook until mushy. About 3-4 minutes per side max! This was so easy and she said it had the texture and somewhat tase of an onion ring. Next time she wants to try breading them first! "Bon Appetit!"

In a large bowl mix 4 cups blackberries 3/4 cup sugar 1 tbsp flour 1 tsp lemon rind Mix together and set aside. Take thawed but cold puff pastry (I used the thawed frozen kind). Roll out on floured serface. I rolled out until I had enough for 3-4 layers of pastry. Beat one egg with a little water and brush on both sides of pastry. In a lightly greased square or rectanguar baking pan, pour in the berries. Lay down layer after layer of pastry brushed with egg. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes. "Bon Appetit!"

4 cups diced rhubarb Place in a lightly greased square or rectangular cake pan. *I used a mixture of fresh and frozen. 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup water 1 tsp vanilla 1 tbsp cornstarch In a saucepan cook until mixture is clear and thick. Pour over rhubarb in dish. 1/2 cup flour 1 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup rolled oats 1 cup melted butter Combine and pour over rhubarb. Bake for 1 hour at 350. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Makes 10 servings. "Bon Appetit!"