Mexican Pie

I’ve been rearranging and decluttering  the kitchen. I decided to look once again at my few cook books and see if I was using them or if any needed a new home. I came across this recipe I haven’t made in a few years. It was a family favorite and  seems it still is. It’s quick and easy to prepare, tastes yummy, and forms a nice thin corn bread on top. It’s good the next day too and freezes well. Enjoy!

( I used all Gluten Free ingredients)

(From Eat Well, Live Well The Canadian Diabetic Associations Guide to Healthy Eating, 1990)

 

Mexican Pie
1 Medium Onion
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 can tomatoes (19 oz/540 ml)
1 can kidney beans (19 oz/540 ml) (I soaked and cooked the beans)
1 can corn (12 oz/341 ml) (I used frozen)
1 TBSP chili powder ( I suggest 2 TBSP or more)
¾ cup cornmeal
1 cup 2 percent milk (I used soy milk)
2 eggs
1 ½ cup shredded cheese (cheddar, swiss, mozzarella, or a mixture)
In a large skillet on medium high heat, cook onion in oil until transparent. Cut up tomatoes. Add tomatoes, kidney beans, corn and chili powder to skillet. Cook on low heat, uncovered, for about 1 hour, or until slightly thickened, stir occasionally. (I used a masher and mashed the mixture a little to thicken the sauce). Pour into 9 X 13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle corn meal evenly over surface. In separate bowl, beat together milk and eggs. Pour evenly over corn meal. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered 350 oven, 50 – 55 minutes. Cut into squares to serve.

 

 

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Easter Food Bank Donation

Friends, if you are hosting an Easter dinner, would you consider asking your guests to bring along a donation for your local food bank. It’s a great way to share with those who are having food challenges at this time. My food bank does not accept perishable food, so check with yours beforehand. You’ll feel blessed when you drop it off in a day or two. Thanks, Linda

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Very Berry Pudding

Very Berry Pudding

I came across this recipe in the Alive magazine. It is so tasty; quick to make; and full of antioxidants.  I’m serving it to my girlfriends tonight with almond bark in a pretty cup. I’m sure they’re going to like it.

1 cup (250 ml) frozen raspberries

1 cup (250 ml) frozen blueberries

1 cup (250 ml) frozen blackberries

1 block (about 12 oz/340 g) soft tofu

2 TBSP (30 ml) coconut palm sugar or

other granulated sugar of choice

2 TBSP (30 ml) honey

2 TBSP (30 ml) cornstarch or tapioca starch

½ tsp (2 ml) cinnamon

¼ tsp (1ml) salt

1 tsp (5ml) orange zest

½ tsp (2 ml) almond extract

( I use gluten free ingredients)

Combine berries, tofu, sugar, honey, starch, cinnamon, salt, orange zest, and almond extract in blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Pour into individual serving dishes and refrigerate several hours before serving. Garnish with shaved dark chocolate and mint, if desired.

Serves 6.

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Curried Broccoli and Sweet Potato Soup

Curried Broccoli and Sweet Potato Soup

(From The Diabetes Choice Cookbook for Canadians, 2002, Pg 48)

I sure enjoy making and eating a good soup. This one is quick to make; high in fiber; and a good source of Vitamin A and C.

Ingredients

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 ½ minced garlic

1 ½ cups chopped onions

1 tsp curry powder (or more if you like)

4 cups chicken stock (add more stock if too thick)

4 cups broccoli florets

3 cups peeled diced sweet potatoes

2 TBSP honey

(I use gluten free ingredients)

Directions

• In a large saucepan heat oil over medium heat.
• Add garlic, onions and curry.
• Cook for 4 min or until onions are softened.
• Add vegetable stock, broccoli and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil.
• Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 min or until vegetable are tender.
• Transfer soup to food processor or blender. Purée. Add honey and serve.

I sometimes add soft tofu just before pureeing – for extra protein. Once served, I add a little ground flax seed to my bowl.(Flax seed is high in fibre; healthy fats and antioxidants).

Brown the onion, garlic and curry.

Add Stock, Sweet Potatos and Broccoli

Puree.

Freezes well.

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Buckwheat Pilaf

Its so much fun to explore with differant grains.  It makes cooking and serving more interesting. Buckwheat, for one,  is  hardy; nutritious;  and part of the rhubarb family.  It’s not actually a grain but a fruit that’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids. Because of it’s nutrition, it is used as a grain.  It’s a good substitute for anyone who is sensitive to wheat too. It is easy to cook and normally quite cheap to buy. This recipe is so good you’ll make it again and again. We’ve never had leftovers, its so yummy.

30 ml (2 TBSP) canola oil

50 ml (1/4 cup) diced onion

1 clove garlic, crushed

250 ml (1 cup)  mushrooms chopped

250 ml (1 cup) whole buckwheat

284 (1 can) vegetable broth (or homemade)

300 ml (1 1/4 cup) water

2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt

1 ml ( 1/4 tsp) ground black pepper

50 ml (1/4 ) cup minced parsley (optional)

Heat oil in fying pan over medium low heat and saute onion, garlic and mushroom until onion is golden. Add buckwheat and cook, stirring for 3 – 5 minutes and buckwheat is lightly toasted. Add broth, water, and seasonings. Cover, reduce heat and cook for about 30 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Garnish with parsley.  Yield 4-6.

                       (Sauteed onions, garlic and mushrooms with Buckwheat toasting)

                                     (add the broth, water and seasonings)

                                            (Put in a colorful dish and ready to serve)

By the way, this is the first time I used a cast iron fry pan.

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Ground Seeds

It’s so easy to add extra nutrients to your diet by using 1 – 2 TBSP of ground seeds daily. They’re high in protein; essential oils; vitamins; and minerals. I grind seeds like flax, pumpkin and sesame separately in my coffee grinder.  I like to keep a couple containers of ground seeds in the refrigerator for convenience.  I use them up within a few days. Add 1 – 2 TBSP of fresh ground flax, pumpkin, sunflower or sesame seeds to cereal, shakes, stir fries, soup, apple slices or whatever you like.  Give it a try. You’ll be healthier for it.

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Lentil Vegetable Soup

                                  (Lentils after boiling)

This soup is so tasty; nutritious; quick to make; and inexpensive. Today I made a double batch to freeze. I like to have it on hand for times when we’re not able to cook. Other times, I take it to a friend who is not feeling well.  If your not making your own soups, I sure hope you start.

Lentil Vegetable Soup

(taken from Canada’s Healthy Living Guide, October 2004)

1 cup (250ml) mixed Lentils (I use green lentils)

1 small white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 TBSP (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil

1 cup (250 ml) carrots, diced

1 cup (250 ml) red and yellow bell peppers, diced (optional)

1 cup (250 ml) celery, diced

2 ½ cups (625 ml) vegetable stock or water

2 bay leaves

Pinch cayenne pepper

( I use gluten free ingredients)

Boil lentils for about 20 minutes.  Drain. In a large pan, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté onion and garlic until tender. Add carrots, celery and peppers and sauté until translucent.  Add lentils and stir.  Add vegetable stock, bay leaves, cayenne and salt.  Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove bay leaves. Garnish with parsley. Serves 2.  Puree part if desired.

(I often add a little chopped spinach just before serving)

                                   (Vegetables sauteing)

                                           (Puree a little –  I love this stick blender)

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Food Intolerences

If you (or someone in you family) has an intolerance to food or if you suspect there is an intolerence, give this book a read.  I have a few sensitivities and I really like how this book sums up what I have read in many other books.  Its a good reference book. I bought my copy used at thiftbooks.com.

Book Description : Dramatic mood swings caused by popcorn. Soaring fevers brought on by milk. Nosebleeds, sinusitis, migraines, eczema, even depression: these symptoms can mean your body is saying a resounding NO to a particular food…….Find new ways to shop for, cook, and enjoy substitutes for dairy, wheat, corn, and sugar…….

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Dehydrated Apples

Today I spent some time chopping apples to dehydrate.This is one way we use the apples from our apple tree.  This year we have abundance.  I use the dehydrated apples mostly in baking and Gerry, my husband, adds them to oatmeal cereal as its cooking. We use them in homemade snack mix which includes things like nuts; dried cranberries; and chocolate chips.

To dehydrate the apples,  I chop them in uniform pieces; mist with lemon juice; place in a single layer on the drying rack; turn on the machine; occasionally rotate the racks; and leave them for a day or two.When they seem to be like chewy leather, I turn the machine off and leave them for another couple days.

Afterward,  I put them in paper bags and put the paper bags into a glass jar. Why not give this a try.  Enjoy!

Additional instructions for dehydrating can be found  on the internet and at your local library.  Overall, it isn’t complicated.  I started a few years ago when I had an abundance of apples.  I found one dehydrator on Freecyle for free and the other I picked up for 5.00 at a thrift store.  I keep track of things I dehydrate in a note book. If you dry something too much – no worries,  just mist with a little water.

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Applesauce to the Rescue

I just love to bake with applesauce.   I use it as a substitute for butter/oil/margarine in a recipe – to make it more nutritious.  The recipe I use for spice muffins calls for 1 1/3 cups of oil, I simply substitute 1 1/3 cups of applesauce. I’m fortunate to have an apple tree, which grows very tart apples.  When the apples are ripe, I make my own apple sauce and freeze in 2-cup amounts.   To make the sauce, I cut apples (peel on) into bite size pieces. I put these into a large pot and sprinkled with cinnamon.

Then I add a little water and let simmer on the stove for ½ hour or until the sauce is chunky. When cool, I put in freezer bags, label and freeze.

Applesauce is so nice to use in baking or simply on a piece of toast.

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Broccoli and Lentil Soup

Although I’ve had ‘The Diabetes Choice Cookbook’ for sometime, this recipe just recently caught my eye.  Broccoli and Lentil soup is easy; nutritious; tastes great and freezes well.   I like that the soup is pureed as my daughter Erin doesn’t like lentils – so I can disguise them. I double the recipe and freeze half for use later. I also blend in 1/2 – 350 g pack of tofu. (Soya products are effective in reducing bone loss, so I use tofu a fair amount in soups).

I hope you give this soup a try, I think you’ll like it.

Broccoli and Lentil Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients :

• 1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 1/2 cups chopped broccoli
• 3/4 cup dried green lentils
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

(I use gluten free ingredients)

Directions :

1. In a large nonstick saucepan, heat oil; sauté garlic, onion, celery and carrot until softened, approximately 5 minutes
2. Add stock, broccoli and lentils; cover and simmer for 30 minute, stirring occasionally, or until tender
3. Puree in food processor until creamy and smooth
4. Serve sprinkled with parmesan

Nutrition Information Per Serving :

• 1 starch Choice
• 1 Protein Choice
• Calories 139
• Fat, total 3 grams; saturated 1 gram
• Carbohydrate 20 grams
• Fibre 4 grams
• Protein 10 grams
• Sodium 999 milligrams
• Cholesterol 2 milligrams

Source : “The Diabetes Choice Cookbook for Canadians”, Katherine Younker

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Leek and Sweet Potato Soup

The newest addition to my list of favorite soups is ‘Leek and Sweet Potato Soup’. A leek is a root vegetable in the onion family that is very mild tasting. If you don’t know what it looks like, you can see it in the photo above. The recipe below is from the Simply Great Food Dieticians of Canada cookbook (one of my favorite cookbooks). The recipe is quick to make and the soup is tasty; nutritious; and colorful.

Leek and Sweet Potato Soup

2 TBSP vegetable oil

4 cups chopped leeks (white and light green parts only)

4 cups diced peeled large sweet potatoes

4 cups reduced sodium chicken and vegetable broth

1 can (14oz/398ml) evaporated milk

1 tsp dill week

Salt and pepper freshly ground

( I use gluten free ingredients)

1. In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat,. Sauté leeks for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Add potatoes and broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Remove from heat.
2. Working in batches, transfer soup to blender and puree until smooth.
3. Return soup to saucepan and add evaporated milk and dill. Heat over low heat (do not boil or milk could curdle). Season to taste with salt and pepper

–         For blending, I use a stick blender and blend right in the saucepan.

–         I substitute soft tofu for evaporated milk

–         Slow cooker 8 hours on low – add milk and dill just before serving

–        Double the recipe and freeze some for later

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Freezer Contents – List

Do you have a list of your freezer contents in your kitchen? I like to keep one right on my fridge. This way, I know what is in the freezer when I am planning a meal or menu. We try to remember to update the list as we use things. My husband usually creates a new list every couple of weeks. Creating a list saves time and money. If you are not using a list, I hope you start soon.

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Simple Brunch Buffet Setup

With Spring approaching, this article on Home Made Simple website caught my eye this morning. I am always interested in new ideas for entertaining  as well as planning and serving food in general. I like the suggestion to use small ceramic eggcups as tiny bud vases for sprigs of fresh flowers. Have a look, I am sure you will pick up a tip or two. Click here. Have a wonderful day. Linda

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Setting a Nice Table

It is so much fun to have a nice table when the family sits down to share a meal.  I have collected a few sets of dishes and I like to use different ones depending on the occasion, and also the presentation of the food.  For instance, when I plan a supper, I consider food color as well as plate color. I like to use white dishes for everyday use, but sometimes a meal can look very anemic on a white plate.  I picked up a set of 13 antique plates at a thrift store for 6.00.  These plates are beige in color with orange flowers.  I love to use them for Thanksgiving or anytime my white plates will not do.  I also have a mix of china plates that are various patterns – some of these I picked up at garage sales or thrift stores. I like to use these for a special occasion like Easter.  Another easy and economical way to add interest to a table is by using placemats. I use placemats with every meal.  You can collect a few sets over time. Placemats are also easy to make, if you sew.  Serving bowls also add interest. I have various colors like red, green, and beige. I like to serve food from a dish – a pot is almost never seen on my table. When my girls where very young and I was home with them, I set the supper table at different times during the day. Sometimes, I set it right after breakfast if that was the convenient time. Now that I work from home, I often set the supper table right after lunch. Setting an eye pleasing table is one simple way to show your family they are important.

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Menu Planning – Main Meal

For many years I have benefited from menu planning.  I save time, money and I waste little food.  I started planning menus about 20 years ago when my girls were very young.  Menu planning is quite simple & if you write down your menus you can reuse them. I base my menus mainly on what is available in my pantry and deep freeze. I tend to buy items on sale and then use when I plan my menu. My local grocery store offers 10% off the first Tuesday of the month. I do my larger shop at this time. When life was fuller, I planned breakfast, lunch and supper meals. Now, I plan main meals only when I am at home. When I travel and have a kitchen available, I include three meals on my menu.

Here is a main meal  sample menu:   

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Easy Black Forest Cake

One of my favorite cake recipes is Easy Black Forest Cake. I acquired the recipe many years ago while volunteering at a children s summer camp. I have just started making the recipe again as it is so easy. It freezes well too. I like to have one (or part of one) in the freezer for convenience. My daughter Erin just loves this cake. I make this for all occasions.  Enjoy. Here is the recipe….

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