Oma comes to the rescue X3-turnip casserole, Olive/Cheddar nuggets and Easy Rapsberry Cake

Hadn't really decided what I was going to do for this week's recipes when Sunday got a bit out of control.   I had forgotten that I was supposed to host a meeting for my playgroup's executive.  Hosting typically involves serving some food.  Also, we were invited to my brother's place for one last dinner in advance of all of our March Break travels (they're off to Italy, I'm jealous! Mike and Philip are going to New Zealand to see Chris Harker (grandpa) and Eleanor, Wilhelmina and I are heading to Florida).  I told Sue (sister-in-law) that I would bring a vegetable for dinner.

So, 3 things needed in one day.  What to do, what to do?   So, I cracked the recipe boxes and looked for inspiration:


Turnip-Apple Dish (veg requirement for dinner at Rob & Sue's)
1 Large turnip
1/4 cup butter
4 apples
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
Peel and cube turnip.  Boil in salted water for 15 minutes.  Mash turnip with 1/4 cup butter.   Peel and core apples and slice thinly.  Toss apples with 1/4 cupbrown sugar and cinnamon.   In a well greased casserole dish, spread a layer of turnip.  Then put a layer of apple slices, followed by more turnip, more apple and finally finish with the 3rd layer of turnip.   In a small bowl, crumble flour, 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp brown sugar.  Sprinkle on top of casserole.  Bake at 350 fro 50-60 minutes.

Verdict:   This was really, really good.  Tasted like baked apples.  It was a great sidedish with the roast chicken dinner that was served.  I would totally do this again.

mashing turnips

Cheese-Olive Nuggets  (appetizer served at meeting)
1 1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup soft butter
1/2 cup flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp worcestershire
1/2 tsp paprika
24 stuffed olives (just the ones in the jar, not the huge ones from the deli)
Cream cheese and butter together.  Add flour, salt and paprika, worcestershire to mixture and mix into crumbly dough.   Using 1 tsp at a time, bring dough together in your hands and work it around to surround one olive.   Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes until golden.  Can be served hot or cold.

Verdict:  These things rocked!   I made them in the afternoon and warmed them up for the meeting.  The meeting coincided with the Oscar broadcast so I served these with a lovely cocktail (1 oz. pineapple, 1 oz. white cranberry, 1 oz. vodka.  Serve over ice with one raspberry).  They were nice and salty and the olive made a nice contrast with the cheese.  My friend Mary sampled one earlier in the day and said that her mom used to make something very similar with pickles.

Making the nuggets

Easy Raspberry Cake

I also made a cake to serve at the meeting. As it turned out, 2 people brought sweets (thanks Lesley and Erin!) so I didnt' serve it.   The day after, February 28 happened to be Eleanor's 1/2 birthday.  So for her 5 1/2 birthday, we served half a cake.  (gave the other 1/2 to my friend, Bernice)

1 package frozen Raspberries (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 package white cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 package instant vanilla pudding
dream whip (optional)
Defrost Raspberries.  Reserve a few berries for serving, if desired.   Reserve a few tbsp of berry syrup for dream whip, if using.   Put cake mix, eggs, oil, pudding and berries (with any other remaining juice) in mixer.  Beat for 3 minutes.   Pour into well-greased Bundt pan.  Bake at 350 for 55 minutes.  Let stand for 15 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool.   If desired, prepare dream whip with reserved berry syrup and serve with cake.

Verdict: Very yummy.   Raspberries tasted nice.

lovely!

Happy 5 1/2 birthday!

Lemon Chicken Stir Fry and Cherry Cheesecake

Tuesday again.   Once again, Claire and Kate are here for dinner (a ritual every 2nd tuesday due to activity schedules).    Thought I'd try something healthy as a main course as we were away for Uncle Ron's birthday over the weekend and I basically ate for 72 hrs straight.   The stirfry seemed to fit the bill.  For dessert, a standard 70's throwback the no-bake Cherry Cheesecake.

Lemon Chicken
3 chicken breasts
5 green onions
1 red pepper
 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
Zest of 2 lemons
ginger
1 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp sugar
soy sauce
1/4 cup sherry
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Saute chicken in veg oil until nearly cooked through.  Add cut up pepper and minced onions.   Stir until soft.  Add mushrooms and lemon zest.   Dissolve cornstarch in a small amount of water.  Add to meat mixture along with ginger, salt, pepper, soy sauce and sherry.  Simmer for 5 minutes until sauce thickened.  Drizzle with lemon juice.
I served this with rice and sauteed broccoli.

Prep work for stir fry makes things easier!

Stir frying!

Final product

Cherry Cheese Cake
Grease 9 inch square pan
Make a graham cracker crust.

Served Dessert - didn't hold together too well!

Combine 8 oz philadelphia Cheese, softened with 1 package pre-made Dream Whip and 1 cup icing sugar.  Spread over crust.   Top with one can of cherry pie filling.

Cherry Cheesecake

The verdict - The stir fry was nice.  Not sure why it's called Lemon chicken as the lemon taste got kind of lost in the Ginger and soy sauce mix.    Very light.   Everyone liked the chicken.   Nobody was 'wowed' but success nonetheless.   The dessert was a hit!   My guests each had seconds.   Rave reviews.  Takes me back to a few decades ago!   It didn't come out of the pan very easily.  Made kind of a mess.  Oh well!

Tuesday Night (again) - Cooking for 5 kids - Arg!

Well it's busy night again and we have 2 extra bodies to feed.  (neighbour kids, Kate and Claire).  It's a treat to feed kids from this family as they ACTUALLY EAT WITHOUT COAXING, BRIBING OR BEGGING!

I found a recipe in one of the boxes called Cheddar beef loaf.  Fancy way of saying meatloaf with cheese.   It calls for 2 lbs of ground beef, so I figured the extra bodies could help us get through this.  For dessert, I turned it over to Philip who promptly found the richest thing in the box, "Mars Bars Squares".   Again, might as well do this one with more mouths to feed, so I figured, why not:

Cheddar Beef Loaf
2 lbs lean ground beef (used extra lean)
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (used half regular, half panko)
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced green pepper
2 tbsp barbecue sauce or ketchup (used bbq sauce)
1/2 cup miracle whip or mayonnaise  (used mayo and used less than 1/2 cup)
2 eggs, beaten
1 stick medium cheddar, cubed
Combine everything in a large bowl and mix lightly.   Pack in foil lined loaf pan.  Bake at 350 for 90 minutes (pour off any fat).  Let stand for 30 minutes.  Serve warm or cold

Mars Bars Squares
4 Mars bars, chopped
1/2 cup butter
2 cups rice Krispies
Melt chocolate bars and butter in a double boiler, stirring constantly.  Keep on heat and add rice Krispies and stir till all cereal is incorporated.  Put in 9X9 square pan, press down immediately.  Cool and cut into squares. To quote Oma in the recipe:  "DON'T EAT TOO MUCH WHILE PREPARING".  A hard challenge, indeed.

Verdict
Either of these recipes will not be featured in any 'Heart Smart' cookbooks.   I served the loaf with roasted potatoes, corn, carrots and a tossed salad.  

SUCCESS!!!!!!

re: meatloaf - quotes below:
Eleanor:  "yummy"
Kate:  "10"
Claire: "mmmmm"
Philip "9"
Willy: "like a meatball, i put ketchup on it now"

re: mars bar squares:
A resounding 10/10 from all but michael who says he prefers regular Rice Krispie squares.  These were devoured in about 2 minutes.  To quote Kate, "I don't have words to adequately describe how good these are"

melty goodness

Delicious!

Meatloaf with roasted potatoes - doesn't exactly photograph well

I will make these squares for this weekends church bake sale.  Will report results later

Niagara Nice & Spicy Chicken and Dutch Apple Cake

Once again, I have scheduled this on a Tuesday.  Why???!!  

Tonight's main course, Niagara Nice & Spicy Chicken, comes from a 4-H unit from long ago.   For those 'city folk' out there who are reading this, 4-H is a rural organization that teaches agricultural, financial and homemaking skills to youths.  I was in 4-H from about the age of 10-16.  I don't remember the specific unit where this recipe comes from and Google doesn't seem to have it listed anywhere.  

As far as the cake goes, I must confess that I have actually made this a number of times.  It is always a quick standby recipe for me if people are coming over for coffee.  

As it turned out, this was a very easy recipe to make on a busy night full of activities.

Niagara Nice and Spicy Chicken
Cut up chicken pieces (I used thighs as my kids tend to like dark meat better)
1 tbsp canola oil
1 can drained peaches (reserve juice)
Barbecue sauce.

Heat oil in frying pan and brown chicken.   Take a 1 cup measure and add reserved peach juice.  Fill to top of measuring cup with barbecue sauce (so that you make one cup in total).  Mix juice/sauce mixture. Add to browned chicken.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Add peach slices and simmer for 15 minutes more.

I served it on rice with vegetable sticks on the side.

BBQsauce/peach juice added to browned chicken

et voila

Dutch Apple Cake
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
5 drops lemon juice (I was out of lemons so substituted vanilla)
2 apples, peeled and sliced into thin slices
Cinnamon sugar  (mix of 1 tsp cinnamon with 2 tsp sugar)
Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time.  Add lemon juice, flour, baking powder and salt.   Spread in the bottom of a greased, spring form pan.   Add apples on top in a nice, circular pattern.  Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.  Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.   (as my springform was a 9 inch pan, It took only about 37 minutes to bake)

The verdict:
Success!!    The kids liked the flavour of the chicken and the peaches were a hit.  Eleanor had 3 helpings of the peaches.   Philip did think it was weird to eat warm peaches.   The cake was definitely inhaled by all.    Oma's original recipe did not call for the cinnamon sugar, but I thought it added a nice look and flavour.  

Yum!

Willy samples Willie's cake!

Hamburger Pot Pie - Dad's away, what will these kids eat?

So husband has left town for a guys trip to Florida.   Gone from today until Sunday.  So, as I need to do another recipe this week, the question is, what to make?
Found a recipe for hamburger pot pie.  Looks reasonably kid friendly, so will give it a try!

Hamburger Pie

Crust
2 cups flour
3/4 cup crisco
1 tsp onion salt
1/4 cup cold water
Cut crisco into flour with pastry blender.  Mix onion salt and water.  Sprinkle water a tbsp at a time.  Mix lightly with a fork until it comes together.  Form a ball with your hands.   Wrap in Saran and chill for 1 hr.

Filling
1 tbsp canola oil (oma called for crisco again, but I changed this)
1 lb ground beef, lean
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can green beans.  (I substituted 2 carrots, finely chopped)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1 can tomato soup
Brown meat in oil.  Stir in Carrots, soup and seasonings.  (I added 1/2 cup water and let it simmer for 15 minutes to cook the carrots)

Roll out half of dough and line pie plate.   Add meat filling.  Roll out 2nd half of dough and cover.  Crimp edges, slit steam holes.  Bake for 25-30 minutes at 400.

The verdict
All kids ate it!!   Didn't even have to bribe with dessert.  Overall I'd call it a success.   My pastry was  a bit bland as what I had was onion powder, not onion salt.  I should have added some salt.  
I would make this again.

Fresh from the oven

thumbs up

no complaints

Round 2 - a new start

Ok, so the apple/pork chops kind of underwhelmed.   I'm getting back on the saddle today with "Sweet and Sour Chicken Drumsticks" served with "Hush Puppies" on the side.   Not sure what possessed me to do this on 'fright night' (the night with Sparks and Basketball running simultaneously, usually an excuse for me to make kraft dinner)

Sweet and Sour Chicken Drumsticks
12 chicken pieces
1 egg
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp oil
Cornstarch
Canola oil for frying

Skin chicken (oops, missed this step).  Beat egg, water and oil together.  Dip chicken in egg mixture and the sprinkle both sides with cornstarch.  Heat oil in heavy pan and brown chicken.  Place in large baking dish and pour sauce over.  Bake for 40 minutes at 375.

Sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tbsp soya sauce
3/4 cup sugar


Hushpuppies
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 small onion diced very fine
1/2 cup milk
Stir together cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix egg, onion and milk.  Batter should be stiff enough to drop, not pour.   Drop level tablespoons into deep, hot fat.  Turn until golden brown.  Drain on paper towel, serve at once.

Ok, not exactly a heart smart meal, but oh well.  I served this with coleslaw, apple sauce and some jello for dessert.

Reviews
Pretty successful!   Everyone ate both the chicken and the hushpuppies.  As the chicken was a bit wet, it couldn't really be picked up to eat.  The sauce was good.  Not sure if the kids would have enjoyed the hushpuppies were it not for the sweet and sour sauce to dip.   Easy.  Will make again!  (incidentally, the jello was a bust.  Am I the only idiot in the world who has trouble with this seemingly simple food?)

Hushpuppy batter, quite stiff

chicken being browned before baking

Bon Appetit!

January 16, 2010 - Pork Chop Apple Casserole, Cheese Scones and Butterscotch cake

Ok, we're off and running!   Thought I'd start with something that would probably be a hit with the kids.  Oma had the pork chop casserole listed along with the scones to be served together.     The butterscotch cake, which is credited as being from Liz Logan (my mother) seemed like an appropriate match.  

Pork Chop - Apple Casserole
4 pork chops, 1" thick
1/4 cup apple juice
2 tbsp brandy
1/4 cup dried thyme (I used 1 tbsp only)
Garlic
2 apples, cut into thick slices
Brown pork chops. Drain off fat.   Saute garlic for one minute.  Add brandy, apple juice and thyme.  Scrape pan to remove brown bits.   Put pork chops back in and put apple pieces around them.  Cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, until meat is cooked and apples are soft.  Serve with hot cheese scones.

Cheese Scones
2 1/2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup grated cheese
3 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
dash of tabasco
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold shortening
1 1/4 cup milk
Cut shortening into flour and baking powder.  Add most of the cheese (reserve a small amount), bacon, salt and tabasco sauce.   Add milk gradually.  Stir until it forms a ball.  With hands, knead ball a few times.  Do not over-knead.  Shape with hands into a circle.  Pre-cut into sections, like a pie.   Place circle on baking sheet.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese   Bake at 450 for 15 minutes.

Butterscotch Cake - Liz Logan
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups brodie flour (substitute 2 cups flour, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cups raisins (optional, I didn't do this)
3/4 cup milk
Mix oil, sugar and eggs.  Beat well.  Gradually add flour and milk and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add raisins, if desired.  Bake in greased, square cake pan at 350 for 35 minutes.  Ice with glaze (below)

Glaze
1/4 cup soft margarine or butter
2 tbsp hot milk
1 tbsp corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup icing sugar
Mix all and spread over cake while still warm so as to have a glaze effect.  



Reviews - Served on a Sunday evening to the immediate family

Philip - Liked the dessert and was happy to learn he'd get a piece in his lunch the next day.
Eleanor - Ate the most out of the kids.  Liked the scones

Michael - "Not a strong starter for the purpose of this blog"

Wilhelmina - Was in a bad mood so basically ate broccoli and butter only. Perked up for the cake.

Jodi - meh!    Not terrible, but not great.  Let's see what next week brings. 

Cake before icing

Pork chops being cooked

final result

Cake being eaten with icing

scones