Ingredient: butter, melted

Blueberry Chocolate Yeast Braid

I’m not sure what it is about chocolate that makes it such a good pair with berries. Blueberries for one, are the perfect match for dark chocolate. Bitter, sweet, fruity and awesome!

Some years ago, Brion & I were in California at a winery sampling some of their wines. They offered us some chocolate covered blueberries and that wonderful flavor has never left me.

Since we are already into December and Christmas baking is up front and center, I thought it might be nice to experiment with a different filling for this yeast braid.

Christmas breads are often more decorative and have celebratory qualities to them, such as the Bulgarian Christmas Bread that symbolizes prosperity for the upcoming year. Other classic Christmas breads from around the world include Panettone or Stollen which are filled with fruits and nuts. Whether it’s for the sake of tradition or you just want to make something new and different, this is the best time of the year to get in the kitchen and whip up some beautiful ‘Christmas bread’.

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 Blueberry Chocolate Yeast Braid
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Keyword blueberry chocolate yeast braid
Servings
SLICES
Ingredients
Sweet Dough
Blueberry Filling
Other Ingredients
Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Keyword blueberry chocolate yeast braid
Servings
SLICES
Ingredients
Sweet Dough
Blueberry Filling
Other Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Sweet Dough
  1. In a small dish, heat milk to lukewarm. Add yeast & 1 tsp sugar; let sit for 5 minutes to allow yeast to activate. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining 1/4 cup sugar, melted butter, sour cream & egg. Add yeast mixture & stir to combine.
  2. In another bowl, whisk flour & salt. Add flour mixture to yeast mixture 1 cup at a time, combining after each addition. Once the flour has been added, knead on a lightly floured surface for about 2 minutes.
  3. Lightly grease the large bowl, place dough in it & cover with plastic wrap & a tea towel. Allow to rest for at least one hour, in a draft free place until dough has doubled in volume.
Blueberry Filling
  1. In a saucepan, combine blueberries, sugar, cornstarch & lemon juice. Heat mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, for several minutes until it thickens. Remove from heat & cool until ready to use.
Cream Cheese
  1. Slice cream cheese in about 1/8-inch thick & about 4-inches in length. Lay out on a piece of plastic wrap to form a rectangle about 10 X 4-inches in size. Lay plastic wrap with cheese on a tray & place in refrigerator until ready to use.
Assembly/Baking
  1. On a large sheet of parchment paper, roll risen dough into a rectangle 13 X12-inches in size. With a straight edge, mark it in thirds lengthwise. On the two outer pieces, mark 1-inch strips. At the top & bottom you will need a 1 1/2-inch piece. The center rectangle should be 10 X 4-inches in size. Cut out the 4 corner 'wedges' as it will make a nice clean braid this way. ( I just made a couple of little sweet dough buns with a bit of jam filling with this excess dough.)
  2. Start with the cream cheese layer. Using the plastic wrap, flip it in the center rectangle. Next, top the cream cheese with blueberry filling then lay the chocolate bar over all to complete the third layer.
  3. Cut the strips on either side of the braid. Pull the end dough pieces up over the filling then start to braid with the side strips until you reach the other end. Using the parchment paper, lift the braid onto a baking sheet. Cover with a dry tea towel & allow braid to rest & rise for about 30 minutes in a draft free place.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 F. before the braid is finished rising.
  5. Carefully brush braid with egg wash & bake for 30 minutes until it is browned nicely.
  6. Remove from oven & cool slightly before serving. If you have leftovers for another day, warm the bread slightly so that the chocolate will be soft & runny. Yum!

Grilled Salmon w/ Mango Avocado Salsa

When it comes to favorite summer condiments, salsa is top of the list. For many North Americans, salsa is almost considered a basic food group, and not just as a nutritious dipper for corn chips. Packed with garden-fresh fruits, herbs and vegetables that are easy to get your hands on, it’s as terrific a topping for chicken, beef, or seafood as it is a colorful add-in for pasta, rice and salad. Plus, it requires virtually no cooking, making it the perfect dish to throw together when summer heat and humidity make you feel like you’re melting.

The history of salsa sauce originated with the Inca people. Salsa, which has typically been a combination of chilies, tomatoes and other spices, can be traced to the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas. In recent years, the use of different fruits combined with vegetables makes for a spicy fruit salsa.

Modern North American cooking has become a fusion of traditions, flavors and dishes from virtually every part of the globe. The tradition of eating tomato-based salsa was likely regional until the practice of eating Mexican food spread throughout the continent. Exactly how mango salsa reached North America isn’t really known, but it was likely brought from the Caribbean by travelers. Modern North American salsas are still primarily tomato based, but many people appreciate the sweet, salty, sour and spicy combinations of flavors in a well-balanced mango salsa.

Versatility and adaptability are salsa’s biggest selling point. Chunky or finely diced, spicy or mild, crafted with fruit or vegetables, and sometimes both, salsa is unlimited with possibility.

The salsa that Brion & I are having with our salmon today is an interesting mix of avocado, mango, grape tomatoes & red onion marinated in lime juice. Should be good!

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 Grilled Salmon w/ Mango Avocado Salsa
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword grilled salmon w/ mango avocado salsa
Servings
Ingredients
Salmon
Salsa
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword grilled salmon w/ mango avocado salsa
Servings
Ingredients
Salmon
Salsa
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Salmon
  1. In a small bowl, mix melted butter & all other salmon ingredients. Rub the spice mix all over salmon in foil ( mainly on the no-skin side but getting a little on the other side as well). Leave at room temperature while the grill heats up. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
Salsa
  1. In a bowl, combine salsa ingredients & refrigerate until salmon is ready.
Grilling
  1. Grill the salmon wrapped in foil for about 15 minutes or to your liking. Salmon should flake easily & not be overcooked.
  2. Serve hot on a bed of rice with the mango salsa on top.

Lemon Gel ‘Crumble’ Wedges

Nothing says spring more than the zesty, fresh flavor of lemons. I think this lemon dessert is the perfect way to celebrate spring.

Crumbles are a true British dessert, which can be made any time of the year. They are believed to have originated around the time of World War II which brought the world to a standstill; shops were closed, people were left unemployed. As the war progressed, food scarcity became a major scare and due to inflation and rationing, the accessibility to basic food ingredients became a problem. In these hostile times, British housewives came up with many recipes; some of these recipes were lost in time, but some stayed and even gained cult status with time. One such British recipe is that of ‘apple crumble’.

Typically, crumbles use soft fruit like apples, pears, rhubarb or plums, but berries or even a lemon filling can be used. The crumb topping can be made with flour, nuts, breadcrumbs, cookie or graham cracker crumbs, or even breakfast cereal.  

This dessert is very different from the usual crumble. You start with a crumble crust/ topping but the filling is uncooked. It is so nice with fresh lemon juice and zest in it. As it bakes, it becomes almost gel-like and the top crumbles soak slightly into the filling. The flavor of lemon always seems to give such a refreshing taste to everything its used in.

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 Lemon Gel 'Crumble' Wedges
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Cuisine American, European
Keyword lemon crumble
Servings
Ingredients
Crust & Crumble Topping
Lemon Filling
Course dessert
Cuisine American, European
Keyword lemon crumble
Servings
Ingredients
Crust & Crumble Topping
Lemon Filling
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Crust/Crumble Topping
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine all topping ingredients. Mix well with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 cup of topping; set aside. Place remaining topping in a 14 x 4-inch baking pan pressing it up the sides as well as on the bottom. Set aside.
Filling
  1. Mix all filling ingredients well, then pour into crust.
  2. Place baking pan in oven & bake for 30- 35 minutes or until filling is set & crust is golden.
  3. Remove from oven & cool completely. This dessert is best refrigerated overnight or at least 6 hours. Cut into wedges or bars & serve with WHIPPED TOPPING.

Stuffed Raspberry Cream Pancakes

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Here in Canada, we set aside the second Sunday in May to honor our mother’s with expressions of love and gratitude.

As I grow older, I realize how many ways I unconsciously emulate my mother. I loved everything about her and as a kid I could never imagine life without her. But in the natural sequence of events, that’s not how it works. I guess along with many other things, I’m grateful for the fact that she was there through my childhood. She passed away at the age of sixty and although she is no longer on this earth, her wonderful memory will live on in our hearts forever.

We are fortunate to still have Brion’s mother, Dolores. In January this year, we were able to spend four days visiting with her. It was so wonderful to be able to do that once again.  

This blog is especially to honor: the special memories of my mother for her endless giving of selfless love – my mother-in-law, Dolores, for her kind ways and raising that ‘special’ man I love sharing my life with – to my sisters, who have given so much of themselves to be such great moms.

Pancakes are one of mankind’s oldest prepared foods, which is why you’ll find some iteration of them in virtually every cuisine around the world.

For most North Americans, the word ‘pancake’ conjures a stack of fluffy, hot-off-the-griddle ‘flapjacks’, a pat of butter slowly melting beneath some maple syrup. But pancakes take many forms around the world, from delicate French crepes sprinkled with sugar to spongy, sour Ethiopian injera to chewy-crisp Japanese okonomiyaki, studded with seafood and drizzled with sticky brown sauce and mayo.

Both pancakes and flatbreads embody the idea that the most common and basic ingredients can combine into a whole far greater than the sum of its parts. They’re quick-cooking and don’t require anything more than a pan (or a rock) and a heat source, but they’re also the basis for more involved cooking methods, canvases for countless ingredient combinations. They’re staple foods to be peppered with seafood, poultry, aromatics, or fruit; topped with whipped cream or cheeses, syrups, caviar, chutneys, or jam.

Have you ever made stuffed pancakes? If not, you’re going to love this recipe! Stuffed pancakes do take a bit more time to prepare than regular pancakes, but they are really worth it.

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 Stuffed Raspberry Cream Pancakes
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Cuisine American
Keyword raspberry sour cream stuffed pancakes
Servings
Ingredients
Raspberry Sauce
Cream Cheese Filling
Sour Cream Pancakes
Cuisine American
Keyword raspberry sour cream stuffed pancakes
Servings
Ingredients
Raspberry Sauce
Cream Cheese Filling
Sour Cream Pancakes
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Raspberry Sauce
  1. In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch, sugar & salt. Add water & raspberries; cook until 'clear' & bubbling. Remove from heat & add butter, lemon juice. If you wish , press sauce through a sieve to eliminate the seeds. Set aside.
Cream Cheese Filling
  1. In a bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add remaining filling ingredients beating until smooth. Set aside.
Pancakes
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, milk, sour cream, butter & vanilla.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt.
  3. Add flour mixture to the liquid mixture & whisk together until no large lumps remain but don't overmix. Let the batter sit for 15 minutes. You can even refrigerate it overnight & cook the next morning.
  4. Heat a nonstick griddle on medium-low heat. To ensure your pancakes cook all the way through, you'll want the heat a little lower than for other pancakes.
  5. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup & scoop the batter to fill it up & pour an evenly round circle of batter on the griddle. I find using the bottom of the measuring cup helps to create the circle.
  6. Let it cook until little bubbles form, then pop, & the indentations stay on the batter. Pipe a small amount of the filling on half of the pancake, making sure not to get too close to the edges & not to overfill it.
  7. Fold the uncooked pancake over the filling. The edge of raw batter on the top half should touch the raw edge on the bottom when folded. It will continue to cook & seal itself on the griddle.
  8. Put a 'lid' over the pancakes to help them to cook through. Flip as needed to keep the browning even. Allow them to cook until all the batter looks cooked through.
  9. Serve with fresh raspberries & sauce.

Sweet Onion Pie w/ Ritz Cracker Crust

Ritz Crackers are a universal favorite. They’ve been a comforting fixture in grocery stores for well over 80 years. Ritz are the perfect balance of salty, crispy, and buttery.

When Ritz crackers were released in 1934, the name was associated with the epitome of luxury. Anything calling itself Ritz in the 1930s was advertising itself as high-class. Many people think that Nabisco invented vintage ‘mock apple pie’. Nabisco was obviously not the creator, as mock apple pie recipes have been found as far back as the 19th century, when they were usually made with saltines or water crackers, but definitely played a huge part in the popularity of the creation. The buttery cracker rounds appeared on the market in 1934 and they were an instant hit. By 1935, the National Biscuit Company (or Nabisco) had sold 5 billion units of crackers. Shortly thereafter, the recipe for mock apple pie appeared on the back of the boxes. The recipe came at the perfect time due to apples being expensive during the Great Depression.

Ritz taste buttery, toasty, and salty. Apples taste sweet, sour, and juicy. You wouldn’t think that you could make a convincing fake apple pie filling with Ritz crackers, but it actually works. The secret is the cream of tartar, a powdered acid that’s produced as part of the winemaking process. Since cream of tartar comes from grapes, it has a fruity flavor that infuses the crackers and makes them taste vaguely like apples.

While they are great to eat them on their own, it seems there are many ways to use them in recipes, so we can enjoy them for whole meals and even as leftovers the next day, instead of for the mere 10 seconds it takes to get through a whole cracker sleeve. Crumbled Ritz make amazing toppings for  casseroles, main courses, side dishes and desserts. Ritz can bring buttery flavor and a slightly flaky but ultimately crunchy texture to just about anything, so the real question is, why wouldn’t you want to make good use of them?

This sweet onion pie is a great way to showcase sweet onions. It’s salty, a little sweet & cheesy.

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 Sweet Onion Pie w/ Ritz Cracker Crust
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Cuisine American
Keyword sweet onion pie w/ Ritz cracker crust
Servings
Ingredients
Cuisine American
Keyword sweet onion pie w/ Ritz cracker crust
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. Place 2 Tbsp butter in a large pan & cook onions over a medium heat until starting to soften. You want the onion to still have a little bite so be careful not to overcook. Remove from heat.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  3. Combine cracker crumbs with 5 Tbsp melted butter & press into bottom & up the sides of a lightly greased 9-inch pie pan. Spoon onions on top of crust.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper & Tabasco sauce. Pour mixture over onions. Sprinkle with cheese & paprika.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes.

Blackberry Dampfbuchteln

When I was growing up, I remember my mother making something she called ‘dampfnudeln’. The taste was wonderful and as I recall, these were sweet yeast dumplings in a vanilla custard sauce. I’m not sure if they had anything in the center or not.

Dampfnudels have been a pretty big deal in Germany since the 1600s. As legend has it, during the war, a hungry Swedish army arrived in Freckenfeld, a small town in Germany. The army had threatened to murder everyone there and destroy the town, however, they agree to leave in peace if they were fed. That was the moment town baker, Johanes Muck, rose to the occasion and along with his wife and apprentice, made 1,286 dampfnudels. To honor his heroic efforts, Johanes’ grandson, built a gate known as Dampfnudeltor, made with 1,286 little stone bumps.

The people of Freckenfeld still celebrate the origins of the dumpling and the heroic baker 400 years on with an annual festival. The Dampfnudeltor is even featured in the town’s coat of arms. And if that isn’t enough not only is there a song about them, but a film too – the Dampfnudel Blues!

Traditionally, cooks steam dampfnudel dough as it bakes. Once these ingredients are mixed, they are formed into tight balls of dough and placed close together in an iron pan. The pan is covered with a lid and placed in the oven to cook. The lid is required to create the soft, noodle-like texture associated with this dish. By the time the dish is done, all the liquid will have evaporated from the dish.

Depending on whether the dish is served as a meal or a dessert, dampfnudel may have a sweet flavor. As a dessert, this dish is typically topped with a sweet vanilla sauce, or served with a rich custard. It can also be eaten with stewed fruit. As a main dish, this dough is typically served with vegetables or sauerkraut. It can also be used as side to dip in stews or soup and may even be steamed in chicken broth when served in this manner.

It seems there are endless recipes and preparations, variations on recipes and variations on variations …. ROHRNUDELN, HEFENUDELN, GERMKNODEL, DAMPFNUDELN, BUCHTELN and on and on. Basically, they are all yeast dumplings, sweet (or savory) but the preparation varies somewhat. Some are poached in a milk/sugar liquid, whereas others are baked. Some are filled, some not. Most seem to be served with a vanilla custard.

For mine, I’m trying to incorporate some blackberry compote in a soft, sweet yeast bun with some vanilla custard. I think I’ll call them ‘dampfbuchteln’. Buchteln are a typical Bohemian dish from the region in the middle of Europe that was formerly German. It was from there, that recipes like this made their way into German and Austrian kitchens. That name seems fitting, having the characteristics of both kinds of buns.

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 Blackberry Dampfbuchteln
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Cuisine German
Keyword blackberry dampfbuchteln
Servings
Ingredients
Blackberry Compote
Sweet Roll Dough
Vanilla Cardamom Sauce
Course dessert
Cuisine German
Keyword blackberry dampfbuchteln
Servings
Ingredients
Blackberry Compote
Sweet Roll Dough
Vanilla Cardamom Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Blackberry Compote
  1. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch & salt; add juice & stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, simmer until thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Immediately remove from heat. Gradually fold in blackberries. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. I found it easier to make the compote a day ahead of the buns.
Dough
  1. In a small dish, heat milk to lukewarm. Add yeast & 1 tsp sugar; let sit for 5 minutes to allow yeast to activate. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining 1/4 cup sugar, melted butter, sour cream & egg. Add yeast mixture & stir to combine.
  2. In another bowl, whisk together flour & salt. Add flour mixture to yeast mixture, 1 cup at a time combining well after each addition. Once the flour has all been added, knead on a lightly floured surface for about 2 minutes.
  3. Lightly grease the large bowl, place dough in it & cover with plastic & a tea towel. Allow to rise for at least 1 hour in a draft free place until dough has doubled in volume.
  4. Punch dough down & turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 12 equal sized pieces & roll each into a ball. Place under a tea towel so they won't dry out. Take one ball & shape it into a flat circle large enough to hold a spoonful of compote.
  5. Fold over & pinch the edges, then carefully shape into a ball again. Place in a buttered 12-inch spring form pan, seam side down. Repeat with remaining dough balls. Cover with tea towel & let rise for another 30 minutes.
  6. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake buns for about 20-25 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven; cool for just a few minutes then pat with butter. When completely cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar if you wish.
Vanilla Cardamom Custard
  1. Sift together cornstarch, flour & cardamom. Using a whisk, combine the beaten eggs & the flour mixture until powders are dissolved. In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together milk, sugar & salt. Once sugar & salt are dissolved, add in the egg mixture & keep stirring everything until the mixture is thickened. Remove from heat & stir in butter & vanilla. Nice to serve warm under the blackberry dampfbuchteln.

Flapper Tarts

Flapper pie is a traditional dish from the prairies of western Canada. The name seems to stem from the fact that the pie originated in the era of the ‘flapper girl’. Flappers were modern, young girls in the 1920s, often with a slightly immoral behavior. Precursors of the 1920s flapper were both, the late Victorian ‘new woman’ and the Edwardian ‘Gibson girl’.

Unlike their Victorian grandmothers, 1920s flappers cut off their long hair and wore a bob instead. They also wore makeup, smoked and drank alcohol in public. And like all 1920’s women, flappers wore short (knee-length) dresses. However, unlike more conservative women, flappers wore only the bare necessities under their dresses, often just a slip and rolled stockings.

Flapper pie was served in every café that graced small, Canadian prairie towns. Some foods are so regionally specific that people outside of a certain geographic area have never even heard of them, let alone tasted the dishes. Such is the case with flapper pie.

Flapper pie is a decadent combination of three components: a cinnamon-y, graham cracker crust, a creamy vanilla custard filling and a meringue topping. Instead of a pie I decided to make individual tarts.

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 Flapper Tarts
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword flapper tarts
Servings
Ingredients
Crumb Crust
Filling
Meringue
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword flapper tarts
Servings
Ingredients
Crumb Crust
Filling
Meringue
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Crust
  1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
  2. Combine crust ingredients; reserving 1/3 cup for topping. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners. Place 2 Tbsp of crumbs in each one, gently pushing up the sides & over the bottom. Try not to press to firmly to avoid them becoming to hard after baking.
  3. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or just until crumbs stick together & brown slightly.
Meringue Stabilizer
  1. In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water & 1 Tbsp cornstarch (listed in meringue ingredients); bring to a boil & thicken. Set aside to cool.
Filling
  1. In a heavy saucepan, heat 2 cups milk until it boils. In a small bowl, combine sugar & cornstarch, then add salt, egg yolks, 1/4 cup milk & vanilla. Whisk into boiling milk; continuing to whisk until mixture returns to a boil & thickens. Pour into baked tart shells.
Meringue
  1. Adjust oven temperature to 350 F. Beat egg whites & salt until frothy then gradually add sugar, beating until stiff. Add vanilla & MERINGUE STABALIZER, beating until stiff peaks form.
  2. Pipe the meringue over the custard in tart shells making sure it touches crust to seal & prevent it from shrinking after browning. Top with reserved crumbs.
  3. Bake tarts until golden, about 10-12 minutes. Cool completely set away from drafts.
Recipe Notes
  • The meringue stabilizer is used to ensure there is no 'weeping' as the meringue cools & sets.
  • If you prefer to make pie instead, this amount of ingredients will make a 9-inch pie nicely.

Apricot Amaretto Stuffed Cornish Hens

Today, March 21st, our family honors the memory of my father on his birth date. He passed away at the age of 92, 18 years ago. Although my father lost his sight to macular degeneration, he carried on in his life with much courage and dignity. I have great admiration and appreciation of the special man he was.

Having been raised on a farm, chicken was a very common meal. I think my mother probably prepared chicken every possible way there is to cook them. At that time I had never heard of a Cornish game hen let alone eaten one.

By the 1950’s, the Cornish Game Hen was fabulously popular. The usual weight is about 500-700 grams, which makes it ample for an individual serving. I remember in the 1970’s, Cornish game hens were considered to be a very upscale or exotic dinner and quite expensive.

According to legend, the Cornish game hen was actually ‘invented’. The original breeder was a woman by the name of  ‘Tea’ Makowsky.  At the age of 15, she moved to Paris, France finding work at both a milliner’s shop and a cheese shop. It was here she met her husband and they married in 1933. Fleeing from the Nazis, they settled in the USA. After fire destroyed their farm in 1949. the Makowskis, began experimenting and came up with a cross breed of Cornish game cocks and Plymouth Rock hens. The result was a plump little bird that matured quickly with all-white meat. In less than 5 weeks, the chicken was ready to be sold.

I’m sure had my Dad tasted this stuffed version he would have probably enjoyed it so I thought it was fitting for todays blog recipe.

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 Apricot Amaretto Stuffed Cornish Hens
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword apricot amaretto stuffed Cornish hens
Servings
Ingredients
Stuffing
Herb Butter
Cornish Hens
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword apricot amaretto stuffed Cornish hens
Servings
Ingredients
Stuffing
Herb Butter
Cornish Hens
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Stuffing
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. In a small saucepan, combine dried apricots, apple juice & amaretto; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover & simmer 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine muffin pieces, almonds, melted butter, cinnamon & apricot mixture. Mix well.
Herb Butter
  1. In a small dish, combine all ingredients. Rinse hens & pat dry. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp salt inside each hen cavity. Stuff each hen with muffin mixture. Skewer opening together. Place hens' breast side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Spread herb butter over each one then place a bacon slice on each breast. Cover with foil. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
  2. In a saucepan over low heat, melt plum jam, stirring frequently.
  3. After 1 1/2 hours of roasting, remove bacon & continue roasting hens, uncovered for 15 more minutes, basting with plum jam every 5 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to ensure hens are cooked through. Remove skewers . Serve immediately.
  4. * To toast almonds, spread on a cookie sheet, bake at 375 F. for 5-6 minutes or until light golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Mushroom, Chard & Brown Rice Loaf w/ Mustard Sauce

Veggie loaf, who thought of this? It seems it was one of many recommended meals during WWII to help housewives provide nutritious and varied meals while being faced with food shortages and strict rations.

The veggie loaf was meant to achieve several purposes – use leftovers (veggies & stale bread), replace meat, provide variety and use ingredients that were readily available and economical such as beans and carrots.

From what I recall, there were few vegetarian loaf recipes until the late ’60s. By the end of the 1970s, however, there was at least one veggie loaf recipe in every natural food’s cookbook. Over the years, though, vegetarian loaves gained a bad reputation. Sadly, many early recipes came out of the oven resembling bricks and were just about as appetizing. If you followed a typical recipe as it was written, you wouldn’t have to worry about not having enough food to go around. No one wanted a second helping. Times have definitely changed, with the increased interest in the vegetarian lifestyle of today.

Even though Brion & I are not vegetarians, I have always loved vegetables, so incorporating a veggie loaf into a meal with meat works for me.

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 Mushroom, Chard & Brown Rice Loaf w/ Mustard Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword mushroom chard & brown rice loaf
Servings
Ingredients
Vegetable Loaf
Mustard Sauce
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword mushroom chard & brown rice loaf
Servings
Ingredients
Vegetable Loaf
Mustard Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Vegetable Loaf
  1. In a small pot, bring 1 cup water & a pinch of salt to a boil. Add rice, lower heat to a simmer & cook rice until water has been absorbed & rice is tender. Set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions & cook until translucent. Stir in garlic & celery; season with salt & pepper. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add mushrooms & herbs; cook until mushrooms release their juices & the liquid evaporates, about 5 more minutes. Add chard & cook until wilted. Stir in sun dried tomatoes, then remove from heat & let cool slightly.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 F. Generously grease a loaf pan with olive oil.
  5. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, mustard & broth. Add vegetable mixture & rice; stir to combine. Pour vegetable mixture into loaf pan & smooth flat with a spatula.
  6. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until edges are nicely browned. While the vegetable loaf is baking, prepare mustard sauce.
  7. Allow to cool slightly, then run a knife along the edges & flip onto a serving platter & slice. Serve with mustard sauce.
Mustard Sauce
  1. In a small pot, melt butter then add flour to form a roux. Cook until bubbly & flour is lightly browned, stirring constantly. Add vegetable broth & mustard. Bring to a simmer & cook for about 5 -10 minutes. Remove from heat & serve with vegetable loaf.

Creamy Roasted Red Onions

All onions are not created equal so using the best onion for the job can really add a depth of flavor to your meals.

Onions are the workhorses of the kitchen and the foundation of so many billions of dishes across the globe that we forget how lovely and delicious they are all by themselves.

For most of the year, you’ll find red storage onions at the supermarket, which are pungent and spicy. In the summer months, you’ll often find fresh red onions, which are much milder, and lack a bit of the ‘onion-y’ flavor you’ll find in their yellow and white cousins.

The main difference between red onion and white onion is that red onions are a little spicy in taste while the white are comparatively sweeter and less mild.

It is a well-known fact that almost all dishes feel and taste incomplete without the presence of onion in them. Stuffed onions are an impressive side dish and a perfect complement to any main dish. 

Print Recipe
 Creamy Roasted Red Onions
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword creamy roasted red onions
Servings
Ingredients
Onions
Filling
Topping
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword creamy roasted red onions
Servings
Ingredients
Onions
Filling
Topping
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Onions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  2. Peel onions, trim the root ends so they will sit upright & cut about 1/2-inch from tops. Rub onions with olive oil & season with salt. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven & allow to cool slightly.
  3. Gently remove the centers leaving a shell of about 2-3 layers. Return a slice of the center to form a bottom. Coarsely chop onion centers.
Filling
  1. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, salt, herbs de Provence, garlic powder, minced garlic & chopped onions. Spoon filling into onion shells.
Topping
  1. In a small bowl, combine Panko, butter, cooked bacon & parsley. Spoon carefully over onions.
  2. Bake for 30 minutes or until filling is heated through & bread crumbs start to brown. Serve immediately.