Carrot Banana Bread

Carrot-Banana Bread

1c. bananas, mashed
1c. sugar (I used splenda)
3/4 c. oil
2 eggs
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. carrots, grated
1/2 c. nuts (opt.)

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 1 loaf pan. In medium bowl, combine bananas, sugar, oil and eggs. Beat 2 minutes. Fold in flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots and nuts. Spoon batter into loaf pan. Bake 60-70 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan before removing.

Side Dishes to Die For when you cook your Next Turkey

Blueberry Duff

2 c flour
4 tsp butter
4 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/4 c sugar
1 cup blueberries (that's an approximation... sometimes it can be more!)
1/2 tsp salt
water

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Add water until a hard dough is formed (don't make too soft!!!). Transfer to a pudding bag, tie the bag close to the top so no dough can escape. Cook in pot with vegetables and salt meat for 1 hour at a continuous boil. Before removing from the bag, gently squeeze out excess pot liquor. Slice in 1 inch rounds. Serve hot or cold. Great hot with gravy or leftover as a snack.

Now, I know you're going to ask... what's a pudding bag. Essentially it's a muslin type fabric that is sewn into a simple bag. You can by them in local grocery stores here but You could also make one! They are about 6inces wide and 10inces long... and you tie with some kitchen string. Throw it into the wash with dish towels etc... don't try to get the stains out, they just add character.

Another issue, you can cook this in a pot of boiling water alone however, in NL we cook Sunday supper by starting with salt-meat, which is trimmed naval beef that has been brined... Yummy!!! We start this giant stock pot at 10 am for a 5:30 meal... boil the meat all day to get the brine and salt flavours through the water and the salt out of the meat. We add vegetables to it at 3:30ish and cook them all together, in the one pot... We add carrots, turnip and cabbage first, then at 4:00 we add potato, turnip greens and blueberry duff.
If you're going to cook a peas puddin, that goes on early and you can cook this in the big stock pot or on its own. Peas are a gassy food anyway and if they are cooked in the pot with the salt meat they tend to soak up any grease that comes from it. So for a peas puddin you need another pudding bag!

Peas Puddin
1/8-1/4 c split yellow peas for each person who wants to eat the pudding (some like more than others)

place the split yellow peas in the pudding bag, tie the bag about 1-2 inches above where they sit in the pudding bag. Place the peas in a boiling pot of water and cook for 3 hours or until all the peas mush together without any solid pieces left. (They should be cooked in heavily salted water or in the pot with the vegetables & salt meat!) Remove the bag from the water and tightly squeeze the peas to get all the remaining water out. Transfer the peas into a bowl and mash with butter, salt and pepper to taste. Some like this really buttery and others kind of dry. You'll have to see what your family likes best.


Blueberry Duff is absolutely delicious! Peas Puddin is more of an aquired taste many people like it, but I don't! Andrew loves it so I make it for him. Although, he thinks his mom's is better. I can never get the seasoning just right... and she can't tell me because she just does it lol... so it's a live and learn situation. Part of the "to taste" direction.

Andrew's mom makes the a blueberry duff that's different than mine, she essentially has the same batter but she greases a dish and pops it in the microwave or sometimes the oven until a toothpick comes out clean. She'll serve this with a custard sauce for dessert with tea. I prefer mine as part of supper but her way is also great.

I hope you enjoy these side dishes the next time you make turkey, roast (beef or pork) or even a chicken! The only real requirement is that they are served with gravy and even that isn't necessary!

Moroccan-Style Chicken Stew

If you are like me and like a good stew and try to be different every once in a while, this is for you. I made this last night and it's good.

1 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs (or breasts like I used)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes in puree (I used two regular sized diced tomatoes)
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 C dark seedless raisins
1/4 C salad olives (chopped pimiento-stuff olives) I omitted this ingredient as I do not like olives... but if you do, go for it.
1 C water
1/2 C loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves (I just sprinkled a little dried cilantro on top)

1. In nonstick 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven, (or a big ol' pot like I used), heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion and cook 5 min or until light golden brown.

2. Meanwhile, in pie plate, mix flour with coriander, cumin, salt, ground red pepper, and cinnamon. Toss chicken with flour mixture to coat evenly.

3. Add chicken to Dutch oven and cook 7 min or until lightly browned, turning chicken over througout cooking time. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.

4. Stir in tomatoes with their puree, beans, raisins, olives, and water; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, breaking up tomatoes with side of spoon. (that is, if you chose to use whole tomatoes instead of diced) Garnish with cilantro.

Each serving has about 300 calories. :) "Stew" on that why don't ya?

Split Pea Soup With Turkey Bacon

Split Pea Soup

1 small onion, chopped
1 T vegetable oil
4 C water
1 can chicken broth (I use powder and 1 C of liquid)
1 1/2 C dried green split peas
turkey bacon- cooked and diced (I use maybe 5-8 slices)
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp salt (I eyeball it)
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed (I eyeball it)
1/4 tsp dried thyme (I eyeball it)
1/4 tsp pepper (I add more cause you know I love the pepper)

in a large saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until peas are tender. Discard bay leaves. Yields 6 servings.

I doubled the recipe today in order to have leftovers for lunches. Nothing better than a hearty soup for lunch in my humble opinion.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew

Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew

1 1/2 pounds chicken (I used breasts that were frozen and I cut them into strips)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 T olive oil
3 med sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 medium onion, sliced
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes in juice
3 T natural peanut butter (I used reduced fat natural peanut butter)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I used a bit more)
2 garlic cloves, peeled (I used diced)
1/4 C packed fresh cilantro leaves, plus some for garnish

1. Rub chicken with cumin and cinnamon; set aside.

2. In nonstick 12 inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add sweet potatoes and onion and cook until onion is tender, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer sweet potato mixture to plate.

3. Increase heat to medium high. Add seasoned chicken, and cook 5 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned on both sides.

4. Meanwhile, drain tomatoes, reserving juice. In blender (or food processor) blend tomato juice, peanut butter, salt, crushed red pepper, garlice and 1/4 C of cilantro and blend.

5. Add sweet potato mixture, peanut butter sauce, and chopped tomatoes to skillet with chicken; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 25 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are soft. We served over brown rice.

Shoo-fly Pie

Shoo-fly Pie

Crumb:

* 1 pie shell, unbaked
* 1 1/4 cups flour
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 cup butter
* 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
* 1/2 pinch of salt

Filling:

* 1 cups hot water
* 1/2 cup mild molasses
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1 tsp. egg
* 1/2 tablespoon flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1. Combine all crumb ingredients and mix until an even crumb is achieved. Set aside.

2. In another bowl, combine hot water, molasses, and brown sugar. Stir and add egg, flour, and baking soda.

3. Pour 1/2" of the liquid filling into the pie shell. Cover with crumb mixture. Continue to alternate between the filling and the crumbs until pie shell is full.

4. Bake in a preheated 350 F degree oven for 45 - 60 minutes. Insert a toothpick and test for oneness. It should come out clean.

5. Cool and serve with tea to celebrate National Hot Tea Month. Enjoy!

Mixed Fruit Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is something people really like or avoid. In our family it belongs in the 'like' category. Over the years we've experimented with several recipes, and I will post them over time. The most simple recipe for cranberry sauce is to combine 12 ounces of fresh cranberries with one cup of sugar and a cup of water, and bring to a simmer. The cranberries will burst after about 10 minutes of simmering and your sauce will be done. But, here's a recipe that is a little more interesting.

Mixed Fruit Cranberry Sauce

1 - 12 oz. bag cranberries
2 medium pears, chopped
1 cup orange juice (may substitute apple juice)
1/2 cup dried cherries, unsweetened
1/2 cup raisins, golden
1 cup maple syrup
3 Tbsp. crystallized ginger
1/8 tsp. cardamom, ground

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat. Then, uncover and cook until sauce reduces and thickens. Remove from heat and cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes: 3 cups

Yummy Spuds

We prepare this dish weekly at my house. It's quick and easy.

2-5 lbs of potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
2-3 TBSP garlic (diced)
salt
pepper
vegetable oil/ olive oil

In a large skillet cover the bottom with oil and add garlic. Heat the oil with the garlic to infuse the flavour. Add the potatoes to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Fry the potatoes on medium heat until tender and slightly crispy (about 20 mins). Add more oil as necessary. Serve as a side with Breakfast, Lunch or Supper!

It is best to fry in a non-stick pan or you'll use way WAY more oil!

Easy Meat Marinade

For a pot roast (Beef or pork)

1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 cup Kraft Signature Roasted Red Pepper with Parmesan
1 Tbsp fresh cracked pepper corns
2 Tbsp Montreal Steak Spice
1 Tbsp chopped garlic (from the Costco bottle in water is fine too!)
salt to taste

Cover the roast in the dry ingredients in the pan you will roast in. Pour Worcestershire sauce over the meat and then pour on the dressing. Let stand in the fridge for 2-3 hours (sometimes I leave it as little as 2 mins and it's still great! But the flavour really works through if you leave it overnight). Just before you're ready to bake, add 1-2 cups of water to the bottom of the pan (do not pour it over the meat). This will make the meat juicy.

Turn your oven on 250F and bake for 3-4 hours (Depends on the size of the roast). This will leave a tender and juicy meat.

HINT: I also use this for BBQ. I sprinkle the spices on my steak or chop and then sprinkle on a bit of Worcestershire. I usually leave out the dressing. It's quick and tasty! No need to leave for hours just a couple of mins.

Serve the meat with a couple of tablespoons of juice (and garlic bits) from the bottom of the pan. You could also make this into a tasty gravy.

Spicy Sweet Potatoes

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon chili powder, or more, to taste

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons slivered toasted almonds (optional)

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook sweet potatoes for about 12 minutes, or until soft. Drain and transfer the sweet potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Add oil, maple syrup, chili powder, and salt. Mash well with a potato masher. Garnish with toasted almonds and serve.