Cooking - for a new lifestyle (Our Test Kitchen)

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. ...

1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey breast 1 large onion, chopped 1 large carrot, peeled, halved and sliced 2 large stalks celery with leaves, thinly sliced 2 cans (1 pound each) unsalted tomatoes, crushed  tsp dried basil 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tap crushed fresh garlic 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 3 cups beef broth 1 can (1 pound) navy or garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained 6 ounces elbow macaroni or ziti pasta Place the ground meat in a 4-quart pot and brown over medium heat, stirring constantly to crumble, until the meat is no longer pink.  Drain off any excess fat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, tomatoes, seasonings and beef broth to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add the beans and pasta to the pot, cover and simmer for 7 to 9 minutes or just until the pasta is al dente.  Be careful not to overcook as the pasta will continue to soften as ...

Or as I also like to call them, Mini meatloaf. This dish has been a staple since I was a kid. I even used it for a Food's class project. Everyone in my family loves these tiny treats and if it could make more than 8-10, I'm sure we'd all eat more than we should. Ingredients 1lb ground beef 2 tbsp minced onion 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1 egg- slightly beaten 1/2 cup milk Dash of sage Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup ketchup 1 tsp dry mustard Dash of nutmeg Makes 8-10. Directions Heat oven to 350F. Combine ground beef, onion, bread crumbs, egg, milk, sage, salt & pepper. Pat mixture into un-greased muffin tins. Make a hole using the small end of a wooden spoon in the center of each. Combine brown sugar, ketchup, mustard and nutmeg and place some in each. Bake for 25mins.

Hal really loved this . . . and Hal is a picky eater . . . sigh . . . from  http://www.soscuisine.com/en/recipes/view/hamburger-with-herbs?sos_l=en&gpr_id=4248 Hamburger with Herbs   20 Reviews   89% would make this recipe again    Review this recipe                                                                                   1 serving                                                                               ...

These are delicious! Ingredients -1lb ground beef -2 containers of Pillsbury crescent rolls 2Tbsp onion soup mix 2cups shredded cheddar cheese -several dashes of worcestershire sauce -Italian, oregano, herb spices for taste. Preheat oven to 375 In a skillet heat a small amount of spices and brown meat. Drain excess fat. Add onion soup mix and 1/2cup cheddar cheese. Unroll the crescents. Place a rounded tablespoon of the meat mixture towards the larger end of the crescent dough Roll – I personally made them into little pockets. Place crescents onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle remainder of cheese on pockets and pop into oven for 30secs.

Alright ladies. I've got a two-for-one recipe duo that is quite delicious. Seeing as today was my day off, I decided to try something I haven't made before and it has been given 6 thumbs up. First on the docket is Homemade Lasagna. Original recipe makes 1 9 x 13 inch dish 8 ounces lasagna noodles 1 pound lean ground beef 2 (28 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce (And yes that is 2 jars. It fills up the dish so be prepared for overflow) 2 pounds ricotta cheese 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese   1 egg   1/4 cup ...

Ingredients Meat Mixture 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided 1lb ground beef 1/4c finely chopped yellow onion 1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 Tbsp dried basil 1/2 tsp dried oregano salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Cheese Mixture 1 (15oz) container Ricotta Cheese 1 large egg 1/3 c fresh flat leaf parsley (aka Italian Parsley, about a handful) chopped 2 1/4 c freshly grated Mozzarella Cheese, divided 3/4c freshly finely grated Parmesan Cheese, divided 1/3c freshly, finely grated Romano Cheese 1/8tsp salt 1/4tsp ground black pepper 12 uncooked lasagna noodles Directions 1) Preheat oven to 375. Drizzle one Tbsp olive oil into a large non stick frying pan. Heat over medium high heat, crumble ground beef over oil, add chopped onions and cook mixture stirring occasionally and breaking up meat until browned. Drain fat from beef. Pour beef mixture into a food processor and pulse for 5 seconds two times until ground into a fine piec...

I will have to guesstimate some of the quantities because I just made this recipe up out of my head and it turned out really well. 1/2 big bag of Rotini pasta, cooked, rinsed with cold water and drained In a 9" x 13 pan pour enough pasta sauce to just cover the bottom and prevent the pasta from sticking. In a frying pan on medium heat cook 2 medium diced onions, 2 stalks diced celery, 1 diced large carrot, 1 lb ground beef, 2 diced cloves of garlic and seasonings of choice.  I used Epicure foccacia seasoning.  When this mixture is cooked through add the remains of the pasta sauce you already have open and then another whole can. Now that your pasta is cooled, toss in a medium carton of ricotta cheese, 1 package of no-name frozen chopped spinach, 1 egg, salt and pepper. Put the pasta mixture into the baking pan.  Cover with the sauce mixture.  Top with grated mozzarella cheese (I used 1/2 of a big block) and a couple of handfuls of grated Parmesan. C...

1 lb lean ground beef 1 onion, sliced 6 large mushrooms, sliced (or use no name canned mushrooms) 1 cup chopped celery 1 10 oz can no name dark red kidney beans 1 12 oz can no name corn 1 19 oz can no name beans in tomato sauce 1 14 oz can no name tomato sauce 1 28 oz can no name tomatoes (whole, stewed, diced or whatever) 4 splashes  of no name hot sauce 12 splashes  of no name Worchestershire sauce 1 - 2 tsp (or to your taste) no name chili powder Put all ingredients in a large pot.  Cook slowly over medium or lower heat, stirring frequently for a minimum of 2 hours.  You can also cook in the oven or crock pot.  The longer it is cooked, the better it tastes. You can serve with rice and top with a daub of sour cream and grated cheese. You can use brand name products if you want to . . . LOL . . .

Since I am doing Herbal Magic at the moment, I have been looking over their recipes. Mum and I tried this one Sunday and even though it says it serves four we managed to get several servings from it. INGREDIENTS 2 cups tomato, diced 1 cup celery, chopped ½ cup green onion, chopped 1 cup green pepper, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced black pepper to taste cayenne pepper to taste 3 cups spinach leaves 1 cup (8 oz.) 1% cottage cheese 10 oz. tofu (medium-firm)* 8 oz. lean ground beef** ¼ cup (2 oz.)shredded mozzarella *If tofu isn't to your liking, you can replace it with another 8oz of ground beef **You can also replace the ground beef with ground chicken, though we do suggest adding some seasoning as you brown it. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brown beef in a skillet and add tomato, celery, onion, and green pepper. Season to taste with garlic, pepper, and cayenne, and let simmer. Wash spinach. Alternate layers of meat sauce, spinach, cottage cheese, and tofu. Top with cheese and bake fo...

2 really large squash were given to us this year (they were almost 1 1/2 feet long with very little seeds). So I had to come up with a useful way to use this much of that veggie. Cut 1 squash in 1/2 and core out the middle (leaving a trench with 1" of squash around the sides. ****cube the interior flesh you take out and freeze for use in stews this winter! Leave skin on to stabilize the shape. Place into cake pan with 3/4" water. In a bowl mix: 1 cup cooked rice 1lb ground beef/pork/turkey/chicken 1/2 tsp minced garlic diced onions to taste diced green peppers to taste S&P 1 tsp italian seasoning PLUS any other veggie like mushrooms, celery or corn 1 cubed apple with or without skin stuff into you your hollowed out squash. With foil tent cover the cake pan. Bake at 325 for 2-3 hours or until flesh is tender and can be poked with a fork. Remove from oven to set (like a lasagna). Serve with a salad and/or on a bed of pasta. In a sauce pot: 1- 1 1/2 cups of apple juice/lefto...

We've been making this quick and easy salad for over 10 years now. 1 pound of ground beef Taco seasoning (optional) 1 pepper (can be green, red, orange, yellow or maybe a little bit of each)-chopped 1/2 onion-chopped 2 pieces of celery-chopped 1/2-1 Tbsp of butter 1 head of lettuce-shredded 450g of cheddar cheese-shredded 1/2 large bottle of Russian salad dressing (or 1 full small bottle) 1 Bag of crushed up tortilla chips Sour cream to top. 1. Cook up the ground beef and drain the grease. If you'd like a little bit of flavor, add in one of those small packets of Taco seasoning. 2. After chopping the pepper, onion and celery, saute them together in the butter before adding them in with the ground beef. Set aside. 3. Shred the lettuce and the cheese. 4. In a large bowl, add ground beef and vegetable mix, shredded cheese and lettuce. Mix. 5. While mixing, add in handfuls at a time of the tortilla chips to crush with the spoon. Also start adding the Russian dressing. 6. When finis...

4 servings 1 tsp canola oil 1-1/2 slices whole wheat bread, stale or day-old 2 cups My Mother's Tomato Sauce (below) 40 g mortadella sausage or ham, finely chopped 1 tbsp marjoram, fresh, finely chopped 1 large egg 400 g lean ground beef salt and pepper to taste 3 tbsp bread crumbs These meatballs can be either baked in the oven or fried.  If using baking method preheat the oven to 400F and lightly oil a baking dish.  If frying, prehead peanut oil to 350F in an electric fryer or large skillet. But the bread slices in a small bowl then cover them with water.  Let soak 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, make tomato sauce. Drain the bread well in a sieve, then squeeze it to remove most of the liquid.  Finely chop the bread and add it to a bowl.  Finely chop the mortadella and marjoram, then add them to the bowl.  Add the egg and ground beef, followed by salt and pepper. Using your hands, blend the mixture together until it is just combined well....

9 lasagna noodles 3 qts boiling water 2 tsp cooking oil 2 tsp salt 1 1/2 lbs ground beef 3/4 cup finely chopped onion 2-14oz cans tomatoes with juice broken up 5 1/2oz tomato paste 1 cup creamed cottage chees 2cups moz cheese grated 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp parsley flakes 1/2 tsp dries whole oregano 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp sweet basil 1 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper Cook noodles in water, oil and salt for 14-16 min until tender but firm. Scramble fry ground beef until browned. Drain well. Turn into slow cooker Add remaining 12 ingredients. Stir well, add noodle pieces. Stir Cover Cook on low for 7-9 hours. or on high 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. Makes 10 cups

2 servings Preparation 5 min / Cooking 15 min 450 calories per serving 160 g tortiglioni or pene 2/3 cup Bolognese Meat Sauce (recipe below) 2 tbsp pasta cooking water 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese salt and pepper to taste Cook the pasta according to package directions.  While the pasta is cooking , heat the meat sauce (which has bee prepared in advance) in a saucepan over low heat.  Add the specified amount of pasta cooking water to dilute the sauce a bit, and warm up just a few minutes.  Put the drained tortiglioni back in to the pasta cooking pot, add the sauce and mix well.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve in warmed dishes. Bolognese Meat Sauce Makes 750 ml (3 cups) Preparation 30 min / Cooking 1 hour 1 onion, finely chopped 1 carrot, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1/2 stalk celery, finely chopped 1 slice bacon, finely chopped 1/2 tbsp butter, unsalted 1 tbsp olive oil 360 g ground beef, lean or medium-lean 1/3 cup milk, 2% ...

I made this a while ago, but never got around to posting it.  At least I don't think I did.  If it's a duplicate, I apologize!  But it was really tasty, so here it is: 1 frozen pie crust 1 pound extra lean ground beef (or turkey) 3 tablespoons chopped onion 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup bread crumbs or cracker crumbs 1/2 cup ketchup 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard (you can use  honey mustard if you have a kid in the house who loves it like in our house!) 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or to taste) 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/2 tsp garlic, chopped  1/2 teaspoon hot chili sauce   1 cup shredded cheddar cheese Directions: Thaw one pie crust at room temperature. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Brown ground beef in fry pan. Add onion and water. Mix well. Add crumbs, ketchup, mustard, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic and hot chili sauce. Mix together well. Pour meat ...

This is a great option to make if you don't want to spend the time stuffing peppers but still want that stuffed-pepper flavour.  It's easy and pretty quick, and makes a big casserole -- plenty for dinner four four with leftovers.   Ingredients: 1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey 2-3 green peppers, chopped coarsely 3 cloves of garlic, chopped 750 ml can of  tomato sauce 1 cup cooked rice 1 cup cooked barley (you could use all rice, but we used the 1/2 and 1/2) 1 cup shredded cheese (we used a combo of mozzarella and parmesan) salt and pepper to taste  Preheat oven to 350F Meanwhile, Saute beef with the chopped peppers and garlic until meat is cooked through.   Add tomato sauce, cooked rice and barley, and 3/4 cup of cheese.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir to combine. Spoon into 2-litre casserole dish; top with remaining cheese. Bake for 25 minutes. We served it with nothing more than some bread. It was delic...

Sloppy Joe 1/2 onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tbsp canola oil 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 260 g ground beef, lean ground pepper to taste 2 tbsp tomato paste 1/4 cup ketchup 1/2 tsp brown sugar 2 tbsp water 4 drops Tabasco sauce (optional) 2 hamburger buns Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.  Add the onion then cook until it is translucent, about 3 minutes with occasional stirring, paying attention not to let it burn.  Add salt, then reduce the heat, cover and cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cayenne pepper then cook with stirring until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the beef then cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it loses its pink colour, about 5 minutes.  It is important not to overcook the meat at this point, otherwise it will end up dry and crumbly. Season with ground pepper to taste, then add the tomato paste, ketchup, brown sugar and water.  A few drops of Tabasco sauce...

This meal went over so well that Cameron cleaned his plate and Hal actually went back for seconds.  If you know Cameron and Hal you will know that this is nothing short of a miracle. Swedish Meatballs "Kottbullar" (meatballs) is a Swedish dish, traditionally served with boiled potatoes and a "lingonberry sauce", similar to a cranberry sauce.  The spice used here is the berry of a pimiento tree.  It is aptly named "allspice" because it tastes like a combination of spices, mostly cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 1/2 potato, peeled 2 tsp Italian parsley, fresh, minced 1/4 onion, finely chopped 1 large egg 400 g ground beef, lean 1-1/2 tbsp milk, 2% 1/4 tsp allspice powder 1/4 tsp salt ground pepper to taste 2-1/2 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 2 tsp apple cider 2 tsp canola oil 2 tsp olive oil Peel the potatoes, boil them until very tender, 20-25 minutes.  Drain well, then put them in a bowl and mash. Mince parsley, add half to the bowl of potatoes ...

Tonight's Menu: Barley and Lentil Soup Blue Cheese Burgers Lettuce and Tomato Salad Fresh Grapes Barley and Lentil Soup 1/3 cup green-brown lentils, rinsed and drained 1/2 onion, finely chopped 1 carrot, finely chopped 2 cups Swish chard, or spinach, coarsely chopped and packed 1-1/2 cloves garlic, minced (I love garlic so used 2) 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp ground cumin 2 cups chicken broth 2 cups water 1/3 cup pearl barley 3/4 cup canned tomatoes (diced or chopped) salt and pepper to taste Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and sauté 3-4 minutes until soft.  Add the carrots, then sauté 5 minutes with occasional stirring, until they are golden-coloured.  Add the garlic and stir 1 minute, then add the cumin and stir 1 minute.  Pour in the broth, water and barley.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and lentils.  Continue to simmer, covered, until the lentils and ba...