Cooking - for a new lifestyle (Our Test Kitchen)

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...

1 large butternut squash - peeled and cubed 1/2 green pepper 1 large onion garlic (I used garlic oil but minced garlic or dry garlic would work) holiday seasoning (sage, italian seasonings, S&P) 1 cup water I baked the above items in a Pampered Chef casserole dish covered with a cookie sheet to keep in the moisture at 350 for about 1 1/2 hours or until quite soft. (*the smell of garlic through the house was awesome! so I must have used quite a bit.) baked squash cubes 1 can evaporated milk 2 cans water 3 tsp chicken boullion Allow to cool, so you don't crack your food processor bowl or blender, for about 1/2 - 3/4 hour. Then process everything into a puree. Pour directly into a crock pot. It took 2 loads to process all of my squash without making a mess. In the bowl of the food processor, pour 1 can evaporated milk, 3 tsp chicken boullion powder and 2 cans of water * the reason I do this is to ensure I get all the spices and vegetable out of the bowl. Blend and then add to the ...

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 ...

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!"

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED these recipes and I was sure Hal would too.  Wrong again.  The man likes tomatoes, fruit, rice, curry and he has unwittingly eaten tofu many, many times in Thai food.  But apparently I'm wrong.  He liked the rice and the strawberries . . . sigh . . . well I won't give up!! Tomato Salad with Oregano 2 tomatoes cut into quarters 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Salt & pepper to taste ¾ tsp dried oregano Put all ingredients into a bowl and toss well. Makes 2 servings. Tofu Curry with Fruit ½ onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced ½ apple, peeled and cut into quarters 2 slices canned pineapple, cut into bit-size pieces 1 banana, cut into bite-size pieces 150 g watermelon, cut into bit-size pieces 1 tbsp butter 1 tbsp curry powder ½ cup vegetable broth 220 g firm tofu, cut into 1.5 cm cubes ½ tbsp canola oil ¼ cup cream 15% Salt and pepper to taste Heat half of the butter in a pan over medium heat.   Add the onion and garlic, t...

Barley is a source of B-complex vitamins and a good source of soluble fibre, the kind that helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels. I thought the salad was okay . .. but not exciting. My fellow testers seemed to feel the same way. 1 cup pearl barley 1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 2 cups corn kernels, cooked Bring large pot of water to boil; add barley. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 50 minutes or until tender. Drain; chill under cold running water and drain again. Meanwhile, in food processor or blender, puree basil, Parmesan, oil, salt and pepper ; stir in garlic. Toss with barley. add tomatoes and corn; toss again. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Source: CanadianLiving.com

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!"

Betty Crocker Quick Bread Recipe 2 cups flour 2 cups cornmeal 1/2 cup sugar 5 tsp baking powder 2 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp salt 4 eggs 2 cups milk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup shortening/margarine Blend last 4 items together, then add dry ingredients in mixer, or throw everything in the breadmaker(on mix only). beat only until smooth. Place into muffin cups. (Did not turn out well in a loaf!) Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes. This made a loaf and 18 muffins. (BTW I added green food colouring to the muffins for St Patricks Day!) "Bon Appetit!"

There are many versions of the out there, but here's my variation.  I have been known to eat a couple of pieces of this with a salad for lunch or supper, and it makes great "picky" food too. It makes a great potluck offering, too. Ingredients: 2 packages Pillsbury crescent roll dough 1-2 cups of chopped raw veggies of choice (I use red pepper, zucchini, green onion, broccoli and shredded carrot) about 1/2 a tub of garlic and herb cream cheese (you can use more or less depending on your taste of course) 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or mozzarella usually, but use whatever you like) Directions: Open both packages of crescent rolls, one at a time, and unroll dough side by side onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  press down on perforations so that it forms one solid sheet of dough. Bake at 325 for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden brown.  Set aside to cool completely. Spread cream cheese over dough, leaving a small border around much like you would expect fro...