Blushing Broccoli and Cauliflower

It is always nice to find simple recipes to make vegetables more interesting as sides to dinner.  One of my favourites growing up was steamed broccoli and or cauliflower with melted cheddar cheese on top. Simple enough and very tasty!
The other day when I was looking through different recipes I came across this one and thought it was a simple twist to an old staple so I tried it out.  It only added a couple of minutes to the prep time of the veggie with just melted cheese and it add so much more flavour!

Blushing Broccoli and Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower

1 bunch broccoli (about the same amount as the cauliflower)

1 can low sodium tomato soup

3 tbsp skim milk

2 tsp vegetable seasoning

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into small florets.
2. Steam the vegetables until tender crisp, about 8 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring the tomato soup, milk and vegetable seasoning to a simmer.  
4. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, allowing it to melt.  Return it to the heat it if needs help.
5. Place the steamed vegetables in a serving bowl and pour the sauce over top. Serve immediately. 

Banana Muffins

I know I already have a few banana muffin recipes up here but I like to have a couple of different ones to choose from because it gets boring using the same recipes over and over again.  I went looking for a new recipe the other day because I wanted to use up some bananas from the freezer but I didn't want to have to go out to buy any ingredients.  I had all of the stuff I needed for this one in the house so it was the winner.  It turned out really well and I plan on using it again.

Banana Muffins

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup flax seeds or ground flax

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup pureed apples or applesauce

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup mashed bananas

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and whisk in the milk, apple, vanilla and honey.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.
4. Fold in the bananas.
5. Divide into muffin tins.
6. Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes or when a toothpick comes out clean.

Marinated Mushrooms

This recipe was a huge discovery!  The marinated mushrooms were a perfect accompaniment for a roasted chicken but the could go well as a side to just about any meat.  It was very easy to make, tasted very sophisticated and allowed me to use it to make a salad with the leftovers.  I love finding recipes so diverse that I can use them for a dinner party one night and then make an entirely new dish with the remaining for lunches!  Another great thing about this recipe is that you can make it up to two days in advance.  Below I have included both the recipe for the original dish and what I did to turn it into a pasta salad.

Marinated Mushrooms

5 cups small white mushrooms

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup wine vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves garlic thinly sliced

1 shallot thinly sliced

2 roasted red peppers, seeded and diced

1 tbsp freshly chopped thyme

1. In a large sauce pan, cover and cook mushrooms and salt over medium heat until the mushrooms begin to release liquid.  Stir the mushrooms once or twice. 
2. Uncover and cook until the liquid has evaporated (about 5 minutes).
3. Remove from heat.  Add the remaining ingredients; let cool.  Place in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 hours.

Marinated Mushrooms Pasta Salad

remaining marinated mushrooms

cooked pasta

2 carrots, thinly sliced

2 ribs celery, thinly sliced

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes

1 cup cooked cubed chicken

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp wine vinegar

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp dried thyme

1. Combine the marinated mushrooms, pasta, carrots, celery, tomatoes and chicken.
2. Mix together the oil, vinegars and thyme.
3. Pour over the salad and enjoy.

Snicker Doodles

These cookies are another classic recipe from my family growing up and my brother's all time favourite cookie.  My Dad is going to see my brother (he now lives across the country from the rest of us) later this week and so I thought it would be nice for him to get a special treat along with a couple of other things I am sending to be passed along to him.
Many recipes for Snicker Doodles call for cream of tatar, but personally I don't like the taste it has in the cookies so this is my preferred recipe.  It also has some cinnamon added to the dough which enhances the flavour that much more.

Snicker Doodles

1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/ 4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Coating
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Mix together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl beat together the butter and sugars until they are light ad fluffy.
4. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
5. Gradually add the flour and beat after each addition.
6. In a bowl combine the coating together.  
7. Roll the dough into walnut size balls and roll in the coating before placing them on a cookie sheet.
8. Bake 10-12 minutes

West African Vegetable Stew

One of the girls I group up with and I have started to cook together once a week to try out some new recipes and techniques.  The was a recipe she picked out for us to make and it turned out so nice.  It was very nice served over quinoa.

West African Vegetable Stew

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch half slices
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
4 cups coarsely chopped spinach or kale

1.  Heat oil in skillet. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is tender.
2. Add potatoes and tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes. 
3. Add raisins, cinnamon, red pepper, broth and water. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 15 minutes.  
4. Add chickpeas and spinach/kale. Heat through. 
5. Serve over cooked rice or couscous, if desired.

Balsamic and Chili Glazed Mushrooms with Walnuts

I was excited to find this recipe because I enjoy all of the ingredients and it is very versatile.  We enjoyed it with some chicken and asparagus tonight.  It would also go great with a salad, on top of rice or just as a light meal on its own.

Balsamic and Chili Glazed Mushrooms with Walnuts

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 - 1 tsp chili pepper flakes

2 large garlic cloves minced

1 cup broken walnut pieces

3 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

1 lb fresh button mushrooms

1. In a small bowl, mix together vinegar, lime juice, sugar, garlic and red pepper flakes.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the walnuts, stir constantly for 2 -3 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove them and set aside.
3. In the same skillet add the oil and heat it over medium-high heat.  Once it is warm add the mushrooms and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add walnuts to skillet and the vinegar mixture while stirring constantly for another couple of minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the mushrooms are well coated.

Rosemary and Chickpea Soup

I am always looking for new ways to use chickpeas as I am not a big fan of meat.  I was happy to find this recipe because I have a lot of fresh rosemary in my garden and I love to use it in my cooking.  This was an easy soup to make and fairly mild.  If you like spice I would add more red pepper flakes.  This is a fairly thick soup if you make it following the recipe I have posted but if you would prefer a thinner one, simply add more broth or water to it.

Rosemary and Chickpea Soup

3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for garnish

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, minced

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

4 cups chick broth

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

sea salt

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the rosemary, garlic and pepper flakes.  Stir constantly until the garlic begins to brown.
2. Add the chickpeas and continue to cook for about two minutes, stirring continuously.
3. Add the broth and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in a stand blender.
6. Stir in lemon juice and sea salt (to taste).
7. Drizzle with olive oil and some extra pepper flakes when you serve.