Crisp Peppermint Patties

Ingredients:

1 cup butter-flavoured shortening

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 pkg. (12 oz.) After-eight peppermint patties

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/3 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Preparation:

Mix shortening and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, melted peppermint patties and vanilla.

Add flour, baking soda, and salt gradually.

Cover and chill 30 minutes (until easy to handle).

Roll into balls and set 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degress for 8-10 minutes or until surface cracks.

Cool 2 minutes before removing from baking sheet onto rack.

NOTES:

These taste just like peppermint patties in cookie form. I used After-eights because they have more chocolate on them than the round mint patties which have more mint.

It is important that butter-flavoured shortening is used so that the cookies will still be soft but will have the crisp cracks on top.

Quick Black Bean Soup

(top with grated cheese)

2 T. olive oil
1 1/4 c. onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. thyme
2 16-oz. cans black beans or bean medley (keep liquid)
600 ml. chicken broth
32-oz. tomatoes, diced in juice
1 14-oz. can corn
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 small orange pepper, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. red pepper powder
1 1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce (opt.)
1 tsp. lime juice
salt to taste

Heat oil in large pot. Add onion, garlic, and thyme: saute until onion is translucent. Add beans with juice, broth, tomatoes with juice, peppers, cumin, red pepper powder, carrot, corn, lime juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce to med-low heat and simmer until soup thickens slightly. (20 min)

Serves 6

Options:
1. Add Hot Pepper Sauce
2. Add chipolte peppers in adobe sauce
3. Use balsamic vinegar instead of lime juice
4. Can puree soup in blender for a smooth taste
5. Top with sour cream and chopped cilantro
6. Add tuscan steak rub for a more smokey flavor


NOTES:
This is a very easy and full flavored soup, one of the best soup recipes I have had recently. It has a nice balance of beans and vegetables. Absolutely delicious. It also freezes well.

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies with White Chocolate Chunks

Ingredients:
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. quick-cooking oats.
3/4 c. dried cranberries
2 squares white chocolate chuncks


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. In large bowl beat sugar and butter until creamy.
3. Add in egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
4. Add cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and flour and mix well.
5. Fold in oatmeal, dried cranberries and white chocolate chuncks until all ingredients are uniformly distributed.
6. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, 3 inches apart on greased cooking sheet. Bake at 375F for 9-12 min, just until the edges are golden brown..
7. Remove from oven and let cool 2-3 min. before transferring to cooling rack.


Adapted from Recipezaar.com

Berry French Toast Bake

Ingredients:

1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 c. milk

1/4 c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

6 eggs

8 c. bread, cubed

1 1/2 c. frozen, unsweetened berries

Preparation:

Mix and pour into greased 10" x 14" pan.

Bake at 350 F for 30-40 min.

Berry Sauce

Mix in saucepan:

1/2 c. sugar

2 T. orange juice

1 c. frozen berries

1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

Preparation:

Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold orange juice. Mix together with the berries and sugar. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring constantly.

Cool Berry French Toast Bake slightly, cut and serve topped with Berry Sauce.

This is a healthy breakfast as well as a delicious dessert.

Note: I have used whole wheat bread to make this even healthier and it was still delicious.

Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

2 (19 oz.) cans diced stewed tomatoes

1 (10.5 oz.) can of vegetable broth

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. white sugar

1 Tbsp. finely chopped onion

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 c. plain soy milk or half and half cream

Preparation:

1. In medium stock pot mix tomatoes, broth, butter, sugar, onion, and baking soda. Simmer 1 hour. Mash with a potato masher.

2. In a saucepan over low heat, heat milk until it is steaming but not boiling. Add to soup and serve.

Serves 2

Note: use only 1 Tbsp. of white sugar if using soy milk as it is sweeter.

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped almonds
2 c. toffee bits

Preparation:
Cream wet ingredients. Sift dry ingredients.
Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients.
Add rolled oats. Add toffee.
Drop by rounded Tbsp and flatten slightly. Bake at 300F on greased cookie sheet for 10-18 min. The tops should look slightly dry when cooked.

Molasses Crinkles

Ingredients:
3/4 c. shortening
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses
2 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Preparation:
Mix together till creamy, shortening and brown sugar. Add egg and molasses. Beat till fluffy. Sift together, flour, salt, soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Mix with wet ingredients.
Roll into balls, set on greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 F for 12-15 min.

NOTE: These cookies will flatten and the top will crackle. The texture will be a mixture of crispy and slightly chewy.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 3/4 c. quick rolled oats
1 c. raisins
3/4 c. butterscotch chips (opt.)

Preparation:
Cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, and vanilla until fluffy. Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in oats, raisins, and butterscotch chips. Drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8-10 min at 375F until golden brown. Cool slightly, remove to rack and cool completely.
Makes 60 cookies.

NOTE: These cookies are nice and chewy with a slight caramel taste. If you cook them too long they will be crispy. For cooked but still chewy, take the cookies out when there are golden brown spots on the cookie but the middle still looks uncooked and fluffy. These are a family favorite.

Creamy Caesar Salad

Ingredients:
1/2 c. plain Greek-style yogurt
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed into a paste with 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 oz.)
1 head romaine lettuce, rinsed, spun dry, and cut into wide strips (about 7 cups)
1/4 c. finely chopped red onion
1/2 tsp. anchovy paste (opt.)

Preparation:
In a small food processor blend together yogurt, anchovy paste, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic paste, 2 T. Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer mixture to a bowl or jar. Chill dressing, covered, for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
Serve romaine, drizzled with dressing and topped with remaining parmesan and onion.

Homemade Croutons:
Cut off bread crusts. Butter both sides of bread slices. Cut into cubes. Bake at 400F for 15 min or until golden brown. Stir ocassionally while cooking. Cool and spinkle on top of tossed Caesar Salad.

NOTE: This is an extremely creamy dressing. SO delicious. I never used the anchovy paste and it turned out very tasty regardless. I didn't have fresh parmesan either, which made the dressing not quite as smooth but still very good.

Amish Macaroni Salad

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (and/or) carrot, shredded
2 Tbsp. Dill pickle relish
2 cups miracle Whip
3 Tbsp. Prepared yellow mustard
1/3 cup white sugar
2 1/4 tsp.white vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook 8-10 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, onion, celery, red pepper, and relish. In a small bowl, stir together the miracle whip, mustard, white vinegar, sugar, and salt. Pour over the vegetables and stir in macaroni until well blended. Cover and chill before serving. The flavor is best the second day.

Carmelized Dill Carrots

Ingredients:
3 cups carrots
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp dill, fresh
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions:
Thinly slice carrots in 3 inch lengths. Steam or boil till just crisp cooked. Drain. Set aside. In saucepan melt and bring to a boil, butter, brown sugar, dill, salt, and pepper. Boil till slightly thickened. Add carrots and stir gently till coated.
Serves 3-4

Fruit Crunch

1/2 c. melted butter
1 c. flour
3/4 c. quick cooking rolled oats
3/4. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt


4 cups fruit (blueberries/chopped rhubarb/raspberries)
3/4 c. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1 c. boiling water
1 t. vanilla

In saucepan, melt butter, cool it a little. Work in flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until crumbly. Press 1/2 of the mixture into a 8 or 9 inch pan. Cover with fruit. In small saucepan, mix together dry, the sugar and cornstarch.

Stir in boiling water; cook, stirring, until thick. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour hot syrup evenly over rhubarb. Sprinkle remaining crumble mixture over top and bake at 325F for 50 - 60 minutes.


Comments: With Thanks for the delicious recipe from Christian Fellowship Church, Birch River, MB

Pie Pastry

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. shortening
1/2 egg, beat lightly
2 tsp. vinegar
cold water

Instructions:
Mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in shortening and mix with pastry cutter until like coarse cornmeal. Put egg in measuring cup and beat with a fork, add vinegar and fill to just under 2/3 cup.
Add all at once and mix only until blended. (Do not overwork or your pie dough will become tough. Treat gently) This recipe can be stored in the fridge or frozen.

Comments:
I've made this recipe several times and it always turns out fabulously light and flaky. It is best to roll it inbetween two sheets of wax paper. It makes it so easy to work with.




Come & Dine. 2000 ed. Produced by Harvest City Church, Regina, SK.

Bacon Wrapped Trout with Balsamic Onion Compote in Rosemary Cream Sauce

Serves 2

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar

1/2 c. water

1 1/4 c. onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 T. sugar

1 1/2 t. rosemary

2/3 c. chicken broth (low-salt is best)

1/3 c. cream or original soy milk

1 large trout, cleaned

8 slices bacon

2 t. olive oil

In saucepan boil vinegar, water, onions, sugar, and half of rosemary, stirring occasionally till onions are slightly softened. Remove pan from heat and let stand 15 minuntes.
Drain onions, reserving the liquid . Transfer onion compote to a bowl to cool.

Add broth and remaining rosemary to reserved cooking liquid and boil until reduced to about 1/3 cup. Add cream/soy milk and boil sauce until reduced to about 2/3 cup.

Preheat oven to 450F.

Lightly oil shallow baking pan.

Rinse trout under cold water and pat dry. Fill with onion compote and season with salt and pepper. Wrap 4 slices of bacon around middle of each trout, overlapping them slightly.

In heavy skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown trout until bacon is completely browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer trout to oiled baking pan.

Top trout with a sprig of fresh rosemary(opt.) and bake in middle of oven for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. (Trout should flake when pulled with a fork)

Deglaze saucepan with reserved sauce over moderate heat, scraping up any brown bits. Strain sauce through a sieve into saucepan. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Pour sauce onto plates and top with trout.



Notes: This recipe may look a little complicated and detailed but in reality it is quite simple and the results are fantastic for the amount of effort it takes.