7/31/14

Everett's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies

Every time my son makes these, I exclaim, "Best cookies ever! You could sell these!"

1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups oatmeal
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup coconut

Heat oven to 375F. 

In a large bowl, mix ingredients in the order they are written. 

Use an ice cream scoop to spoon cookie dough onto ungreased baking sheet. 

Use a fork to slightly flatten them.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Of course, you can make these smaller; just keep an eye on them in the oven, as they might not take as long to bake, maybe 8 to 10 minutes.


For this batch, I replaced 1 cup of the chocolate chips with 1 cup of raisins. I rolled balls quite small (using only a heaping teaspoon of dough), flattened them gently with a fork and baked them 15 minutes so they'd get brown and crisp. 

7/30/14

Whole Wheat Bagels

Bagels


1½ c warm water
¼ c milk powder
1 tb instant yeast
2 tb melted honey
1 tsp salt (may add more to taste)
4½ c whole wheat flour

Mix first five ingredients with 1½ c flour and mix slightly. 
Gradually add remaining flour or enough that the mixture is slightly thicker than bread dough. 
Turn onto lightly oiled surface and let rise 20 minutes. 
Cut into eight equal portions, shape into rounds, flatten slightly and poke hole in centre (I put my finger through the hole and swing the dough around it like a hula hoop till the hole is about an inch in diameter). 
Cover and let rise 30 minutes.
In large saucepan boil water and immerse bagels three or four at a time for three minutes, turning once each minute. Remove and drain.
Brush with egg yolk and water mixture and place on greased baking sheet.
Bake at 375F for 25 to 30 minutes.

Can add ½ c sunflower seeds to dough, and/or sesame seeds, or raisins, or blueberries, or whatever! Can also use white flour, or partly white flour, if you want them lighter.

7/29/14

Mexican Soup

If you read my blog, you've seen this recipe before. I make it fairly regularly around here. It is so, so easy and flavourful, especially with the red onion and grated cheddar for "garnish." Don't skip those.

Mexican Soup

1 c chopped onion
4 tsp olive oil
6 c cooked black beans (or 2 x 19-oz cans, drained)
3½ c vegetable broth
2 x 14-oz cans creamed corn
4 tomatoes, diced
2 tb chili powder
½ c chopped red onion
½ c grated cheddar cheese

Sauté first onion in oil till tender; add next 5 ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Sprinkle red onion and cheese on top to serve.

I often add celery to the sauté, and sometimes throw in leftover boiled potatoes. You can cut the chili powder down by half, too. You can use canned tomatoes, you can use kernel corn, you can play with this one a lot, and I doubt you can go wrong.


7/28/14

Joan's Spinach Salad

My sister Joan made this salad one time when I visited her in Kelowna, and it's still a treat every time I make it.

Joan's Spinach Salad

Bowlful fresh spinach leaves
2 green onions, chopped
A chunk of cauliflower, cut into tiny florets
2 boiled eggs, grated
1 c fresh chopped mushrooms
Fake bacon bits (or real ones, if you prefer)

Dressing:
¼ c oil
2 tb red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar (optional)
½ tsp dill
1 tsp dry mustard
1 clove minced garlic


Like all the recipes I've kept over the years, this one is easy. But it looks like you've spent hours making it.

7/27/14

Cauliflower Pasta Casserole

Cauliflower Pasta Casserole

2 c pasta, any kind but spaghetti
boiling water
1/2 c chopped green pepper
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 c sliced fresh mushrooms
5 tb butter
3 tb white flour
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 and 1/2 c milk
1 c grated cheddar cheese
2 c coarsely chopped cauliflower
1/2 c breadcrumbs
2 tb butter

Preheat oven to 350F.
Boil pasta and set aside. 
Steam cauliflower at medium heat about 8 minutes or until tender, in a half-inch of boiling water. 
Drain both and mix together. (You can cook them together in one pot as long as your cauliflower is coarsely enough chopped). 
Sauté onion, pepper and mushrooms in a tablespoon of butter in another pot, then add to the pasta and cauliflower and set aside.
Melt 3 tb butter in pot, add salt, pepper and flour, stir over medium heat and add milk. 
Stir until sauce comes to a boil and thickens; add grated cheese. 
Mix with veggies and put into greased casserole dish.
Melt 1 tb butter in small pot and stir in bread crumbs. Sprinkle on top of mixture in casserole and bake uncovered for 25 minutes.
If you have no bread crumbs handy, sprinkle top of casserole with chili powder.

Double this recipe if you have teenagers.

This recipe is a variation of Cauliflower Cheese Pasta, from Jean Paré's excellent pasta cookbook)


7/26/14

Sweet 'n' Sour Sausage Supper


Sweet n Sour Sausage Supper 

1 c long grain rice (I've also used cooked wild rice, and brown rice)
2 c water
1 tsp salt
1 lb breakfast sausage cut into half-inch coins
1 c chopped onion
½ c chopped celery
1 small green pepper, chopped

Cook rice in the water and salt.

Cook sausage in separate pan till lightly browned. Drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tb drippings to sauté veggies till tender-crisp.

Make sweet n sour sauce:
1 and ½ c brown sugar
½ c vinegar or lemon juice
3 c water
1 clove garlic
3 heaping tbsp cornstarch
1 tb soya sauce

Combine dry ingredients, add vinegar and soya sauce, stir till smooth, add water, pepper and garlic. Stir and cook over low to medium heat till thick and clear.

Mix sausages and veggies, add sweet n sour sauce to both, and heat, stirring once or twice till boiling. Serve sausage mixture over rice.