Oreo Truffles

This is probably the easiest truffle recipe out there, and so good!

36 Oreo cookies, finely crushed (one standard package)
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 pkg (8 oz) semi-sweet baking chocolate, broken up and melted

Mix the crushed Oreo cookies in with the soft cream cheese (you can reserve some crumbs for garnishing if you wish). Shape into balls and place on pan or baking dish. Refrigerate for at least one hour or until firm.

Melt the baking chocolate in a double-boiler. Once the chocolate is smooth. Dip truffles into the chocolate. Don't leave in too long or the truffle could fall apart. I found it easiest to place the truffle on a fork and lower into the chocolate and then use a spoon to spoon chocolate over the top. Once coated, place on a wax paper covered pan and repeat. Make sure to garnish before the chocolate coating hardens. Keep refrigerated.

Merry Christmas!

*From http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/easy-oreo-truffles-95085.aspx

Fettuccine Primavera with Asparagus & Zucchini

220 g fettucine, uncooked
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
1 small zucchini, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 of a 250g tub of dill cream cheese product (about 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup chicken broth
3 green onions, sliced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in pan on medium-high heat. Add asparagus, zucchini and garlic. Saute 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Move veggies over to the side and add the cream cheese and chicken broth. Cook and stir 3-4 minutes until cream cheese has melted. Add green onions, lemon juice and cooked fettuccine, stir to coat. Sprinkle with black pepper.

*From http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/fettuccine-primavera-132484.aspx

Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup?

Please don't let the picture fool you, this tastes a lot better than it looks. And it was supposed to be a soup, but ended up being quite thick, so not sure, maybe its a stew? I guess if you shortened the simmering time it wouldn't end up being quite so thick.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup onions, chopped
3/4 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
2/3 cup corn
1/2 cup flour
5 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 1/2 cups wild rice (or wild rice blend), uncooked
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp thyme
3/4 tsp dry mustard powder
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tbsp dry parsley
1 1/2 cups cream (I just used 1% milk cause that's what I had and it worked fine!)

Melt butter over medium heat in soup pot. Stir in the onions, celery, carrots and green pepper and saute a few minutes until tender crisp. Add mushrooms, corn and flour. Stir until well combined. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the chicken, wild rice, all the seasonings and the cream/milk. Simmer until done, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours (or less if you don't want it too thick).

*Adapted from http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/2013/10/wild-rice-blend-soup.html

Peanut Butter Pretzel M&M Cookies

Intrigued? I know I was! Pretzels in a cookie? Who would have thought? But it works, so good! What an interesting salty/sweet combo. Good thing I'm taking most of these to work tomorrow, otherwise they wouldn't last long...

1/2 cup salted butter (softened at room temperature)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup M&M's
3/4 cup pretzel pieces

Cream butter and sugars together. Then add in the peanut butter, egg and vanilla. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients. Do not overmix. Fold in the M&M's and pretzel pieces. Chill the dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop dough by teaspoonful and mold into ball and press onto ungreased (or lined) cookie sheet. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Cookies will be very soft and may appear undone, but they will firm up as they cool. Allow to cool on wire racks.

* from http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/11/01/bite-sized-peanut-butter-pretzel-mm-cookies/

Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad

1/2 (16 oz) box of bow tie pasta
1 lb fresh broccoli, cut into small florets
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup red onion, diced
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
6 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, whisk together the mayonnaise, yogurt, red onion, red wine vinegar and salt. Toss with broccoli, grapes and cooked pasta. Stir to coat. Cover and chill. Top with crumbled bacon and sunflower seeds before serving.

*Adapted from http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/2012/10/broccoli-grape-harvest-salad.html

Zucchini Cookies

Got lots of zucchini? Here's a delicious way to use up some of those never-ending squash (you know, other than pawning them off on friends, family and co-workers!).

3/4 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 cups zucchini (shredded)
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup walnuts (chopped; optional)

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the egg and beat until fluffy. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add to the creamed mixture, alternating with the shredded zucchini. Stir in the raisins and walnuts (if adding). Drop onto greased baking sheets and bake in 375 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.

Make sure to bake as soon as they are mixed as the batter could get runny if it stands too long. I found the batter to be quite sticky, but still turned out really well. Instead of the raisins and walnuts I actually used craisins as I found out just as I was going to put my raisins in, that they were moldy! Yuck!

You could also omit the spices and raisins and instead add 1 tsp vanilla and 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Might have to try this version too!

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

* from Simply in Season

Roasted Cherry Tomato Cappellini

This is a great summer dish. If only the cherry tomatoes in my garden were ripe already. But at least I was able to use some fresh basil from my garden.

2 tbsp olive oil
5 cups cherry tomatoes
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
pinch red pepper flakes
8 oz. cappellini
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place olive oil, cherry tomatoes, garlic, wine or broth, salt and red pepper flakes in glass pan and roast for 45 minutes.

Near end of roasting time, cook cappellini according to package directions. Drain and combine in bowl with roasted tomato mixture. Add basil and pine nuts and toss to combine. Serve with Parmesan and garnish with additional basil.


*Adapted from http://www.yummymummykitchen.com/2012/08/roasted-cherry-tomato-cappellini-two.html

Strawberry Sparkle Cake

It's strawberry season!! My parents (& nephews) went strawberry picking today and I got some freshly picked strawberries delivered to my door. Yum! So good. Anyways, here's a strawberry recipe for you. I actually made it last month for Father's Day.

Now if you are really ambitious, you can make the Angel food cake from scratch, but I cheated and used a boxed mix. Just prepare according to package directions and let cool (upside down).

To make the filling empty a 3 oz box of strawberry jello into a bowl and add 2 1/2 cups boiling water. Stir to dissolve, then add 1 lb of frozen strawberries. Stir to cool the mixture and set aside.

Turn the cooled cake upside down (so the part of the cake that was at the bottom of the pan is now on top). With a sharp serrated knife, cut the top 1 inch for the cake and set aside. With a small knife, cut a trench in the cake by cutting 2 concentric circles. Pull out the extra cake from the trench. Be careful to not cut all the way to the bottom.

By now the filling should be cooled and thickened. Carefully spoon the filling into the trench. Fill slightly above the trench. Then put the top layer back.

Whip 1 1/2 cups whipping cream with 2 Tbps sugar. Spread over cake and chill for awhile before serving. Delicious!

*Adapted from http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/07/strawberry-sparkle-cake/

Sun-dried Tomato Fettuccine

Here's a new twist on a tomato pasta sauce. Really good! The sun-dried tomatoes give it a different twist.

3/4 lb fettuccine
3 tbsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup sun-dried tomato halves, sliced
1 (19 oz) can diced tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach
salt & pepper, to taste

In a large pot, cook fettuccine according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, mix together the Greek yogurt and sour cream in a bowl, set aside.

Add olive oil to large skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and saute until fragrant. About 2-3 minutes.

Turn heat down to medium low and add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar. Stir until well-incorporated.

Swiftly whisk in the yogurt and sour cream mixture. Add it slowly, but mix quickly so it doesn't curdle. After it has all been added and mixed well, turn heat up to medium high and let simmer and thicken for 5-7 minutes.

Season the sauce with salt & pepper and then add the spinach. Once the spinach is wilted you can turn off the heat and add the pasta. Toss to coat the pasta. Enjoy!

*from http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/2013/02/18/cheesecake-factory-copycat-lightened-up-sundried-tomato-fettuccine/

Cheesy Bacon Mushroom Chicken

Now this recipe is apparently a copycat of a dish at Outback Steakhouse (US chain restaurant) called Alice Springs Chicken. But I've been to Alice Springs and nothing about this dish makes me think "Australia". So I had to change the name. That being said, it is still very tasty, how can it not be with bacon, cheese and mushrooms??

1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp lemon juice
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
salt
pepper
paprika
8 slices bacon, cooked
2 cups cheese

In a small bowl whisk together Dijon mustard, honey, 1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil and lemon juice. Add the chicken breasts to a large container and pour about 2/3 of the marinade over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate chicken for 2 hours (or however long you have). Refrigerate the remaining marinade for later.

In a small frying pan, melt the butter and saute mushrooms until desired tenderness. Remove from heat. Spray a 9x13 pan or line with foil. Heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Remove chicken from marinade (discard the marinade) and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Sear chicken in hot pan (3-4 minutes per side). Place chicken in 9x13 pan. Bake in oven at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Add the mushrooms, bacon and cheese and return to oven for a few minutes to melt cheese. Serve with the remaining honey mustard sauce.

* From http://blogchef.net/outback-steakhouse-alice-springs-chicken-recipe/

Citrus Strawberry Spinach Salad

I'm not always a huge fan of green salads, but this one was good. Fruit in a salad is always a good idea!

For the salad:

Spinach - however much you need (depending on your salad bowl)
Strawberries (at least 8-10), rinsed and sliced
Oranges (about 2 or 3), peeled and cut up
1/2 - 3/4 cup roasted pine nuts

For the dressing:
1/2 stick butter
zest of 1 orange
1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 Tbsp brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

Melt butter in a pot, add orange zest and garlic and saute. Then add olive oil, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Heat until almost boiling, reduce heat and then set aside.

Toss together salad ingredients and drizzle with dressing. Enjoy! You'll want seconds of this salad.

* From http://www.nestofposies-blog.com/2013/04/citrus-spinach-salad-with-orange-balsamic-dressing-and-a-big-giveaway/

Creamy Avocado Alfredo Pasta

Avocados are one of most favourite fruit (or is it a veggie? I'm not sure). All I know is that it is delicious (and so good for you!). I'm always looking for new ways to eat it. Here's a recipe I found that passed the test and I will make it again.

8-10 Roma tomatoes
3-4 tbsp olive oil
2 ripe avocados, seed & skin removed
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup pine nuts
grated fresh Parmesan
salt & pepper to taste
fettuccine noodles

Preheat oven to 300F.

Wash and quarter the tomatoes. Place on baking sheet and drizzle with 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Bake for 1 hour.

Ten minutes before the tomatoes are done, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the fettuccine according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, add 2 tbsp olive oil, avocado, garlic, salt and lemon juice to a food processor or blender. Pulse until the ingredients are smooth and creamy.

Strain the pasta, and combine with the sauce in a large bowl until all the noodles are covered. Add the roasted tomatoes, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pine nuts. Add some salt and pepper to taste.

Adapted from www.flourishingfoodie.com

Mocha Scones

Oh these are tasty! This is one of my latest finds on Pinterest. What a delicious way to start a Saturday.

For the scones:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, frozen
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup strong coffee, room temperature
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare pans (line with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray).

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in frozen butter. Works really well to grate frozen butter using a cheese grater. Add chocolate chips.

In a small bowl whisk together the sour cream, coffee and egg until smooth. Then stir into the flour mixture. Mix together until dough forms (dough will be quite sticky).

Place dough on floured surface and shape into a rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut rectangle into 8 smaller rectangles and then cut each rectangle diagonally to create 16 triangles.

Place scones on prepared pans and bake for 15 minutes.


For the glaze:

1/4 cup strong coffee
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted

When the scones have cooled its time to put the glaze on. In a small bowl combine the icing sugar and coffee and whisk until smooth. Stir in the melted chocolate until combined.

Drizzle the mocha glaze over the scones and let set for about an hour.

From http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/mocha-scones-recipe/

Lasagna Roll-ups

Here's a great pasta dish for meatless Mondays!

10 lasagna noodles, cooked
2 1/2 cups marinara sauce
5 cups kale, stems removed, chopped fine
1 cup mushrooms, chopped fine
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
500 g container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
salt & pepper
mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread about 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

Place kale in a food processor or blender and pulse a few times until finely chopped.

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, about a minute. Add kale, salt and pepper and saute about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until soft, an additional 5-6 minutes.

Mix ricotta, Parmesan, egg and salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the kale/mushroom mixture. Stir to combine.

Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out cooked lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take about 1/3 cup of mushroom kale mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

Ladle more marinara sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top with mozzarella cheese. Put foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, until cheese melts.

From www.skinnytaste.com

Veggie Rice

1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bell pepper, chopped (I used 1/2 red and 1/2 green)
1 cup raw rice
3 tsps chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 can black beans
1 cup corn
1 can diced/stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 tomato cans of water

Saute onion, garlic, and bell pepper in 1 tbsp oil until onion is transparent. Stir in raw rice and saute until it becomes opaque. Add the diced tomatoes, water, black beans, corn and spices. Cover the pan and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes (do not lift lid). After 20 minutes the rice should be cooked and veggies tender. This is a good dish on its own, but is also good in a wrap with some sour cream and cheese.

Ginger Beef

Happy New Year! If you are like my family, Chinese food is a tradition around the holidays and one of our favourites is Ginger Beef. So when I found this recipe, I knew I had to try it. I have adjusted the recipe slightly. Most notably the amount of red pepper flakes. The original recipe said 3 teaspoons! I only used about 1 teaspoon and that was plenty spicy. So if you are feeling adventurous, feel free to up the quantity and your own risk...

1 lb sirloin steak (sliced into thin strips)
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
1 large carrot, julienned
1 celery stack, sliced
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh ginger, minced
Canola oil (for frying)

Sauce:
3 tbsps soy sauce
4 tbsps rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

In a bowl add cornstarch, gradually add water while whisking. Beat eggs into cornstarch/water mixture. Add sliced steak strips and toss to coat. Pour 1 inch of oil into a wok, heat oil to 375 degrees or until oil is hot enough to fry the steak strips. Add a quarter of the steak strips at a time to the wok. Separate with a fork and cook stirring frequently until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all the steak is gone (you can also use a deep fryer for this). Set beef aside for now.

Chop up the celery, green onions and carrots, as well as mince the garlic and shred the ginger (or if you're like me, just buy the fresh ginger in a jar, much easier!).

Drain all oil out of the wok except for 1 tablespoon. Add green onions, carrots, celery, ginger and garlic. Stir fry for 30 seconds to a minute (beef gets added back in later).

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and red pepper flakes. Add to the wok and bring the mixture to a boil. Add beef, heat through and serve over rice.

* Adapted from http://blogchef.net/ginger-beef-recipe/