Spaghetti Squash Meets Lasagna... an extremely easy weeknight supper

Korean Beef Bowl

Do you ever feel you're in a bit of a rut, cooking the same old dinners week after week?

Me, too!

So, a month or two ago, I started actively looking for some new recipes to try.

Recipes without LONG lists of ingredients...

Recipes that are easy to prepare...

Recipes that are healthy and tasty...

Recipes that are flexible, that can be changed up a bit, depending on what's in the fridge.

I've shared one already – Korean Beef Bowl. This is seriously good and you can have it on the table in twenty minutes. Click here for the recipe.

Today's suggestion is Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Squash from Dinner With Julie. Think lasagna without the noodles. Think spaghetti squash plus sauce plus cheese. That's it. Julie doesn't even really give a recipe, just some guidelines.

First, prep your spaghetti squash, either in the oven or in the microwave.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Microwave: Preheat whole squash 1 minute. Halve lengthwise, remove seeds and membranes. Place cut side down in casserole dish. Add 1/4 – 1/2 cup water. Cook on high for 12 minutes. Test to make sure it's fork tender. Drag your fork through the inside of the squash in multiple directions until you have a pile of strands. Leave the strands in your squash “boats”.

Oven: Cut your squash in half and remove seeds and membranes. Bake in oven at 375 for 30 minutes. Use your fork to stir up the strands.

While your squash is cooking, prepare a meat sauce. It could be as simple as browning some chopped onion and lean hamburger and then adding a jar of spaghetti sauce. Or, it could be like my latest version – a mysterious mixture of vegetables, black beans, cooked taco meat from the freezer, three tomatoes and the tail end of a jar of salsa. : )

Pile a generous layer of sauce on top of each squash boat (allow one per person) and then heap on some grated mozzarella.

Bake at 375 for half an hour. That's it! Enjoy!

Mrs. Baker's Spice Cake

A little stroll down Memory Lane today!

I've had this recipe since Grade 8. Mrs. Baker, mother of my best friend at school that year, passed it along. I loved it, especially when it was warm from the oven.

It's a simple cake, no special ingredients, no complicated directions, no icing required... a nice treat if people drop by for coffee kind of cake!

Mrs. Baker's Spice Cake

Mrs. Baker's Spice Cake

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

Rub together until you have light crumbs.

Set aside 1 cup for topping.

1 egg

1 cup sour milk (add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to milk)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup raisins

Add ingredients to bowl and mix.

Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.

Sprinkle on the 1 cup of topping you set aside.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Have a great weekend!

Maggie

What's for lunch? Peanut Butter French Toast

May I just say, one of the unexpected perks of being a retired teacher is....

PEANUT BUTTER.

Grilled Peanut Butter Sandwich

Yes, it's something I'm “all caps” excited about.

Peanut butter was a no-no at our school. Allergies made it a risky proposition in a classroom, so peanut butter was restricted to weekend sandwiches on the ski trail.

Now, move over and make room for my jar of pb!

Today at lunch, we “taste tested” two interpretations of an upscaled version of the classic peanut butter sandwich: Grilled Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter French Toast. Am I the last person in Canada to try these?

If you really want all the nitty gritty details, lists of ingredients and directions, click here for Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana...

...or here if you feel inclined to whip up Peanut Butter French Toast.

Peanut Butter French Toast

Not that you really need a recipe. For the Grilled Peanut Butter I used raisin bread, peanut butter and a drizzle of chocolate sundae topping to make a sandwich. Butter the outside (both sides) of your sandwich and gently fry in a non-stick skillet until nicely toasted on both sides.

For the Peanut Butter French Toast version, after constructing my raisin bread, peanut butter and chocolate sandwich, I dipped the sandwich in one beaten egg, coating well. Again, gently fry in a non-stick skillet until nicely browned on both sides. Top with syrup, whipped cream or whatever you enjoy most on pancakes or conventional French toast.

The verdict? Both were delicious, with Peanut Butter French Toast edging into a first place finish. Just something a little different for lunch (or brunch)... : )

Talk later,

Maggie

Happy Thanksgiving, Canada!

Sorry!

It's all about my stomach today.

And Thanksgiving weekend (in Canada).

Links to three (simple) “fancy” recipes you might want to make this weekend. 

Click on the titles to zip over to each website.  Enjoy!

Easy Plum Tarts

from Dinner With Julie

Puff pastry can fancy up anything!  The only downside is waiting for it to defrost.  Oh, well.  The best part?  Each one took only about 1/4 of a plum, thinly sliced.  Other fruits would work as well. Add a little ice cream or whipping cream...yum!

Braided Sausage Roll

from The Bon Appetit Diaries

In the past, using a similar recipe from The Best of Bridge, this took a loonnnggg time to bake as the filling was raw meat.  Cooking the filling first made this a quick recipe to assemble.  Be sure to follow the directions for putting the roll on a rack!  Try it once following the recipe, but experiment and try it again with your own combination of ingredients.

Maple Scones

from Dinner With Julie

This is a good basic scone recipe with two tablespoons of maple syrup in the dough.  What takes this over the top is the glaze of icing sugar and maple syrup!

5 Ingredient Thai Pumpkin Soup

While making supper the other day, I was thinking about why my interest in cooking perks up when fall arrives.  I came to the conclusion it's because I love comfort food best... stews, soups, scones and biscuits, fruit crisps and (rice) puddings.  I gravitate to those recipes. 

Not so my husband.

Sometimes, it's an issue.... : )

Now, normally my favourite soup is made from roasted vegetables, whatever's in season. My Butternut Squash Soup is a typical example. Life gets even better if I have homemade stock in the fridge.

Add meat, as in Rainbow Chicken Soup, and dumplings... Hey! It's a Full Meal Deal!  


Today's soup idea came from Foodie Crush.

5 Ingredient Thai Pumpkin Soup.

That's right.  Five ingredients, all from my pantry.  That's why I'm tucking this little recipe into my book.  Sometimes, when there's not much in the fridge and you have unexpected people to feed, it's nice to have a quick, simple soup idea you can whip up at the last minute.

Notes:

The original recipe has fresh red chili peppers and uses red curry paste. I only had green curry paste and chili pepper flakes. No big deal. It still tasted good!

I enjoyed the addition of coconut milk. It was a tasty change from my other version - Pumpkin Soup for One.

What's for Dinner? Korean Beef Bowl

Delicious...simple...few ingredients...quick to prepare...top marks in our house last night... : )

Now, this recipe has been around for a few years (at least). I found it at Kitchen Simplicity, but then found basically the same recipe at Six Sisters Stuff, Damn Delicious and Designer Bags and Dirty Diapers. The oldest version seems to go back to Lizzy Writes (May, 2010). Exciting update... Lizzy Writes has revamped her recipe and turned it into Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps!

Note: Korean Beef Bowl takes only about 20 minutes, start to finish! Put on your rice before you do anything else, or it won't be ready in time.

Korean Beef Bowl

Korean Beef Bowl

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup soy sauce (I used “less sodium” soy sauce)

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Mix sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

1 pound lean ground beef

2-3 cloves garlic

2 green onions, sliced

Brown ground beef in skillet. Drain off fat.

Add garlic and stir for one minute.

Stir in sauce and half of green onions.

Simmer 5 minutes.

Serve over rice and garnish with green onion.

I served this with a platter of raw vegetables, but sauteed green beans and red pepper strips would be nice. Steamed broccoli sprinkled with sesame seeds could be another option.

Delicious!

Take care,

Maggie

PS Be sure to scout around the food blogs listed above. I saw some more tasty recipes I'd like to try!

A Great Little (Buttermilk!!) Biscuit

Maggie's Great Little (Buttermilk!!) Biscuits

Last April, I shared a recipe for A Great Little Biscuit. Why was it great? It used only 1/4 cup of oil instead of the more standard butter. No doubt about it – I love butter, but using oil made these super quick to prep. In fact, they're ready before the oven's heated up.

Great just as they are, as a side for a hearty bowl of soup or chili, you can also mix it up a bit by adding raisins or Craisins...

Or, turn them into Ham and Cheese Pinwheel Biscuits...

Maggie's Ham and Cheese Pinwheel Biscuits

Today, this great little biscuit morphed into A Great Little (Buttermilk!) Biscuit. Buttermilk really kicks it up a notch! Life is good!!!

A Great Little Biscuit

2 cups all purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix together.

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

Add to dry ingredients; stir with a fork until just combined.

Turn out onto a floured surface.

With floured hands, gently pat out (3/4 inch thick).

Cut out round biscuits, triangles or squares.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425ºF (ungreased cookie sheet).

Note: If you wish, add about 1/2 – 3/4 cup raisins, craisins or grated cheese. Makes about one dozen biscuits.

Check out Weekend Potluck #136!

More cookies! Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk by Julie Van Rosendaal

We were expecting some company yesterday, so I tried a “new to me” cookie recipe recently posted by nutritionist, Julie Van Rosendaal.

Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk
A great cookie recipe by Julie Van Rosendaal

On Tuesday mornings, I enjoy listening to Julie on the Calgary Eyeopener on CBC Radio One.  You can listen to her here.  She's also the author (or co-author) of six cookbooks, a freelance writer and creator of a great food blog, Dinner With Julie.

Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies – what an extraordinarily long name for a cookie!

Think “crisp oatmeal cookie with yummy overtones of peanut butter and chocolate” - very tasty! In fact, they were given a gold seal of approval by my “testers”. I'd definitely make them again.

NOTES: I followed the recipe as written, using chocolate chips (rather than chunks) and chunky peanut butter (the only kind allowed in our house) instead of smooth. The recipe makes about 3-4 dozen. They really do spread, so space them out on your cookie tray. Based on a question/answer in the comment section, I put some of the dough (shaped into balls) in the freezer to bake later as needed.

I love that little gadget!  A lot less messy than scooping
up dough with a spoon.  Freeze the balls of cookie dough
separately so they don't stick, then pop in a container.

Panna Cotta Update

Sorry!

Too late!

All gone!

I mentioned last week that we'd had a lovely dessert a friend made – Panna Cotta, a smooth, creamy, sinfully rich Italian treat. I tried it myself tonight and tested it out at a family gathering. It was a huge success.

This dessert is extremely easy and quick to prep ahead of time. I followed the All Recipes video and recipe directions. Joy of Baking has a very similar version and an excellent video as well. I used six tea cups but wine glasses or ramekins would also work well. Just before serving, I poured a teaspoon or two of raspberry syrup on top and added some fresh raspberries. 

Yum!

An Italian Twist... Panzanella and Panna Cotta

Ah, yes. The lazy, hazy days of summer. Here on the homestead, we've started harvesting....weeds, I'm afraid. Without even trying, I am capable of growing the biggest, healthiest weeds you can imagine and they're out there...ripe for the plucking, something I've been doing a lot of lately. : )

Apart from the weeds, there are many parts of summer I truly do enjoy, in particular, an evening BBQ. Sitting out on the deck, a glass of something icy cold, good friends, great conversation... We had an evening just like that a few nights ago.

Although we didn't start out with this in mind, dinner had a bit of an Italian theme. I promised to bring a salad and decided to try...

Panzanella!

This, everyone, is a “summer perfect”, take-a-long salad...

Panzanella?

From Jamie Oliver's magazine article:

"This was probably an invention of necessity," says Fifteen London's executive chef Andrew Parkinson."Italians waste nothing and this salad utilises stale bread. Originating in the areas of Tuscany, Umbria and the Marche, panzanella is first recorded in 16th-century literature, though without the tomatoes as they weren't part of the Italian kitchen then. It's a lovely summer dish - the bread soaks up the oil and vinegar, also taking in the ripe tomato juices, and you can ring the changes by adding any seasonal vegetables you like."

Panzanella is more an idea than a recipe. If you really need specifics, Simply Recipes can get you started. It's not just about tomatoes and stale bread, however. What else do you have in the kitchen? All Recipes adds mozzarella and balsamic vinegar. Dinner with Julie turns Panzanella into a full meal with hard-boiled eggs and tuna. Jamie Oliver even has a Chicken Panzanella.

Panzanella!  

Some basic “rules”?

1. Since bread is a feature of this recipe, use an Italian Ciabetta or a French loaf. Cut so each bread cube has a bit of crust.

2. Use equal amounts bread and tomatoes. I used about six cups of each and needed about 1 cup of dressing.

3. Dressing: 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, juice of 1/2 lemon, 2 cloves minced garlic.

4. In addition to bread and heirloom tomatoes, add about 1/3 of a thinly sliced red onion and a good handful of roughly chopped basil.

5. Other vegetables? Yes, please, but remember bread and tomatoes are the stars here. I added some cucumber. Thin slices of yellow pepper would be colourful.

This salad transports well and you don't need to worry about keeping it cold – perfect for a “take-a-long”.

Cheers,

Maggie

PS Can't forget to mention another Italian aspect of that night's meal. Our hostess made Panna Cotta! Click on the photograph for a video. I plan to make this next week!

Time for Kids: Kids in the Kitchen... Granola! Yum!

Good morning! Have you had breakfast yet?

Last night, after a thunderstorm had finally cooled things down a bit, I was able to turn on the oven.... Yeah! : )

Although porridge is usually our breakfast of choice during the winter, granola is preferred during the summer months and I needed to make a new batch. This time I picked a kids' recipe from Time for Kids, KIDS IN THE KITCHEN Cookbook.

Apricot – Almond Bits 'n' Pieces Granola

2 3/4 cups regular oats

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1/3 cup golden raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup butter, melted

Combine liquid ingredients until well mixed.

Add to dry ingredients. Mix well.

Spread mix in a jelly-roll pan.

Bake for 15 minutes, stir, then bake for 10 more minutes.

Cool completely, stirring every so often.

Note: I didn't have dried cherries so I added in some coarsely chopped prunes. Don't over bake! The granola will continue to cook after it's out of 

the oven because of the heat of the fruit.

I'm thinking of picking up a copy of this book for a young man I know who's just learning to read. It would make a great birthday or Christmas gift for anyone in the 6-12 year old age group.

As a teacher, I learned that being exposed to (and reading) as many non-fiction as fiction books is important for young readers if they're to develop good reading comprehension skills. Cookbooks are an excellent start. In fact, two of my three kids started reading early partially because of cookbooks. Nothing like food for motivation! Cooking together is also a great bonding experience for parents and children. Great talks happen in the kitchen. : )

If you search for this book on Amazon, click on the picture to see the index of recipes, today's recipe and another one for Maple-Pecan Granola Crunch.

Happy weekend!

Maggie

June? Where did you go?????

So, tell me. Where exactly did June disappear?

Blink!!

A lot has happened... trips out of town, some minor day surgery, threat (again!!) of evacuation because of rising flood water... but LIFE IS GOOD!

Have a piece of pie. I'm working on my pie crust skills and turned to Julie for help. Crusts are improving!! I've tried butter, but shortening seems to work better. What do you use? Any other secrets for achieving the perfect crust?

For this pie I used 3 cups rhubarb and 2 cups strawberries and increased the cornstarch to 1/4 cup. It's still runnier than I'd like. I keep seeing references to tapioca. Does that do a better job of thickening the juices?

Ttyl,

Maggie

PS  Oh, my!!! In honour of Canada Day tomorrow, Julie's baking Maple Bacon Butter Tarts... Life can't get any better!  : )

Chicken Taco Salad

Love these two! 

Put them together...they make a great pair!

What's more, they got me out of a tight spot last weekend... 

A late arrival home from Edmonton on Friday night...

Nothing in the fridge...

Unexpected company for the weekend...

A "let's get together for dinner" Saturday invite... Eeek!

What to take? Layered Chicken Taco Salad, inspired by Shugary Sweets.

This recipe is definitely my style. It's super fast to assemble and colourful! Want to improvise or switch things up a bit? Make it smaller or bigger? No problem. Best part? You really don't have to measure too accurately...speeds things up when you're working under pressure! : )

Here's the version I made Saturday. Read this recipe from the BOTTOM UP to get the layers in the right order! The layers are bright, so use a clear, glass bowl if you have one.

Layered Chicken Taco Salad

A handful of sliced green onions and chopped cilantro

About two cups of tortilla chips, lightly crushed

A mix of equal parts French dressing and salsa (about 1 cup each)

Grated cheese (I used a whole package of “Mexicana”.)

A layer of spinach and spring greens (1 1/2 – 2 cups)

A layer of cherry tomatoes, halved (2 cups?)

One can of black beans, drained and rinsed

One red pepper, finely chopped

One can unsalted corn niblets, drained

About two cups of cooked, shredded chicken breast

A layer of spinach and spring greens (1 1/2 – 2 cups)

NOTES: Picking up a cooked Rotisserie chicken, pre-washed greens and a package of shredded cheese meant I was able to assemble this whole salad in under ten minutes! Also, the black beans really do add something special to the mix.

Add some Focaccia and you have a great summer meal.

'Tis the (salad) season!

Maggie