Easy Yogurt Sweet Bread

Tender crumb and a hint of orange with a smear of butter and a cup of tea. The perfect little breakfast or afternoon treat.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt (I used honey flavoured)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs, at room temperature

Zest of 1 orange

1 tbsp orange juice

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups + 2 tbsps flour

1 tbsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour (or spray with baking Pam) a 1.6L round Corningware baking dish approximately 7 3/4" in diameter and 3" deep. Beat eggs and sugar together until light and frothy. Add orange zest. While the mixer is running, drizzle in the vegetable oil, then add the yogurt, vanilla and orange juice. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the wet ingredients in three additions. Mix until smooth. Pour into  prepared pan and bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes checking at 45-50 minutes with a cake tester then increase time as needed until the tester comes out clean. Cool completely on rack then remove from baking dish and dust with icing sugar if desired. Serves 12

 

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Cheesy Mushrooms

Can't wait to make this again! Mushrooms, cheese and garlic come together to make an aromatic side dish that might out shine your steak, chicken or pork!

Ingredients:

1/4 lb mushrooms (whole or if large quartered)

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp dry thyme

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/4 cup 10% cream

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of red pepper flakes

pinch of cumin 

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 tsps parmesan 

fresh parsley to serve

Melt butter with olive oil in a skillet on medium, then add garlic for 30 seconds to 1 minute before adding the mushrooms. Cook until lightly golden, 4-5 minutes. Add the red wine vinegar and cook 3-4 minutes, then add the cream and simmer on low 3-4 minutes to thicken slightly. Add salt, pepper, thyme, red pepper flakes and cumin. Stir together then top with Monterey Jack and parmesan, cover and remove from heat. Let sit 5 minutes to melt the cheese then serve with fresh chopped parsley. Serves 2

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Sliced Glazed Ham with Pineapple

Slicing the ham before glazing it in the oven makes simple work of serving. Just use a large spatula to lift the slices with pineapple from the roasting pan right onto the serving platter! Using a toupie-style ham makes this dish a breeze! Toupie is a Canadian, particularly Quebec term, for a boneless, pre-cooked smoked ham.

Ingredients:

3 lb (1.4 kg) cooked toupie ham cut in half lengthwise and sliced

19 oz (540 ml) can pineapple rings, halved

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 tbsps grainy Dijon mustard

1 tbsp molasses

2 tsps Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp allspice

2 tbsps cornstarch

1/2 cup pineapple juice from canned pineapple  

Mix the brown sugar, white wine vinegar, Dijon, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and allspice together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then simmer for 4-5 minutes. Mix the cornstarch into the pineapple juice to form a slurry and add to the saucepan cooking for 2 minutes. Oil a large roasting pan then layer ham and pineapple slices, overlapping a little. Brush 1/2 the glaze on the ham/pineapple. Cover the pan with foil and into a 325°F oven for 30 minutes. Next raise the temperature to 425°F, coat with the remaining glaze and bake uncovered this time for 20-25 minutes.  Serves 12

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Fresh Asparagus Pasta

Sticking with asparagus for a while, here's a light and lemony dinner for two that features white kidney beans for added protein and tender green asparagus shoots.  

Ingredients:

8 oz (200g) pasta, I used Ricciarelle this time. You could use penne or spaghetti

4 oz (100g) asparagus, cut in 2" pieces

1 lemon, zest and juice

3 tsps minced garlic

1 cup canned white kidney beans

1/2 cup light olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsps sliced black olives

parmesan to serve

 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil then add the pasta and asparagus and simmer for 7 minutes. If your pasta takes longer to cook or if you like a crisper asparagus just add it in the last 3-4 minutes. Meantime, in a frying pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil to medium and add the beans, garlic and olives and sauté 1-2 minutes. Toss the cooked pasta and asparagus in with the beans/garlic/olives. Add remainder of the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper. Serve with a good helping of parmesan! Serves 2 

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Ricotta Asparagus Tart

Doesn't asparagus scream spring? Tender fresh asparagus is nestled in a lemony ricotta filling sitting on flaky store bought puff pastry. Cut to serve as an appetizer or a simple light lunch.

Ingredients:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 large egg

1 cup ricotta

salt and pepper to taste

1 lemon

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley

1 tsp dry basil

pinch of fennel seeds, rubbed between your fingers

12 oz asparagus, trimmed and cut in 4-6" lengths

2 tsps olive oil

Preheat oven to 425°F. Roll out the puff pastry on the parchment paper it comes in to just a bit bigger than it was. Lift the paper and puff onto a baking sheet. Beat egg and brush a 1/2" border all around. In a bowl mix the remainder of the egg with the ricotta, salt, pepper, zest of lemon, green onions and herbs. Spread onto pastry leaving border exposed. Lay the asparagus side by side. Cutting them in half or thirds makes it easier for slicing after baking. Drizzle olive oil on top and bake in the lower third of the oven for 18-20 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before cutting. Serves 8 as an appetizer.

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Sweet and Sour Slow Cooker Chicken

This saucy dish is a little sweet and just a bit sour as the name suggests. And it's the easiest dump and go meal you'll see today! 

Ingredients:

1 lb (500g) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in 1 1/2" cubes

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 onion, sliced

2 tsps sesame oil

2 tsps sriracha sauce

1 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 tbsps soy sauce

2 tsps cornstarch

1/4 tsp 5 spice powder

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp oyster sauce

2 green onions sliced to garnish 

Mix everything except the honey, oyster sauce and green onions together in the slow cooker. Cover and set on high for 2 hours. In the last 30 minutes add the honey and oyster sauce and stir through. When done plate and garnish with sliced green onions. Lovely with jasmine rice! Serves 3

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Homemade Flaky Cheese Crackers

These soft homemade flaky cheese crackers are better than store bought and can be enjoyed by young and old alike. Especially happy when they are toddler approved! 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups shredded old cheddar cheese

4 tbsps butter 

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Add all 3 ingredients to a food processor and process until it forms a ball which comes together quickly. Take the ball of dough and wrap it in plastic wrap refrigerating it for 20 minutes. (This step may or may not be necessary. If you can work the dough right away...go ahead!) Roll it out to 1/4" thickness on a lightly floured surface. It is a very easy dough to handle. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. I used a small heart and also the cutter used for awareness ribbon cookies to make bunnies for Easter. But any small shape will work. Place on baking sheet, they do not spread very much. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes then cool on racks. Makes 20 small hearts and 15 bunnies.

 Recipe from: buggyandbuddy.com

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