Chocolate Cherry Chia Pudding

Light and easy dessert for two. Maraschino cherries sweeten the pudding with just a slight cherry taste complimenting the cocoa. Chia seeds are high in lots of healthy nutrients (to balance out the sugar-laden maraschinos!)

Ingredients:

7 oz milk

3 tbsps chia seeds

1 tsp maple syrup

1 1/2 tbsps cocoa powder

14 maraschino cherries

Whipped cream or whipped topping

Blend the milk, chia seeds, syrup, cocoa powder and cherries together in a blender. Then pour into serving cups and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Add your favourite topping. Serves 2 

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Protein Packed Tomato Soup

This is the easiest recipe you'll see all day! Just blend three ingredients together, warm and it's ready. The cottage cheese alone gives you 14g of protein in each serving along with that of the broth and this soup packs a protein punch!

Ingredients:

1 cup marinara sauce (homemade or store bought)

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup broth (bone broth has the highest protein)

Your choice of seasoning (optional)

Blend everything together until the cottage cheese is smooth (or at least not lumpy), heat it up and ladle into bowls. Add seasonings if you like. I added a little Mrs. Dash and some dried parsley but the marinara sauce probably had enough flavour of it's own. Serves 2

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Smash Dumpling Tacos

Cooked smash-burger style, these Smash Dumpling Tacos are an easy way to enjoy homemade dumplings without the painstaking chore of wrapping them.

Ingredients:

28 dumpling wrappers 

1 lb ground pork

2 tbsps minced garlic

2 tsps minced ginger

1/4 cup chopped green onion

4 tsps rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

pepper to taste

vegetable oil for cooking

sesame seeds and green onion slices to garnish

Sauce:

1/4 cup soy sauce

4 tsps rice vinegar

1 tsp chili crisp oil 

Combine the sauce ingredients and set aside. Mix the ground pork, garlic, ginger, chopped green onion, rice vinegar, soy and pepper together. This can be done early in the day and refrigerated for the flavours to meld. Lay the dumpling wrappers out on a counter. Take 1 tbsp of meat mixture, form a ball then press or smash onto the wrapper. Prepare all the dumplings stacking them between sheets of wax paper. Heat oil in a frying pan or griddle to medium. Place the dumplings pork side down on the pan and fry 1-2 minutes. Flip them over then fold over like a taco and cook another 1-2 minutes until crisped.

Serve with dipping sauce on the side and topped with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Makes 28 or enough for about 4 servings.

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Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Serve this quinoa stuffed squash as a vegetarian dish or side to any meat. Healthy quinoa, tart cranberries, mushrooms, green onions and crunchy pecans all finished with a sweet note from the balsamic glaze. 

Ingredients:

 1/4 cup quinoa

2 tbsps chopped pecans

2 tbsps dried cranberries

1 cup roughly chopped mushrooms

2 green onions, sliced separating green and white

1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth

2 tbsps olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp dry thyme

1 tsp dry parsley

balsamic glaze

To start, cut the squash in half from stem to blossom end and remove the seeds. Brush with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a lined baking sheet and roast in a 350°F oven for 45-50 minutes or until tender. Reduce oven heat to 300°F. Bring broth to a boil and add the quinoa, cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile heat 1 tbsp olive oil to medium heat in a skillet. Add the white slices of green onion and the chopped mushrooms. Sauté 5-8 minutes. Add the cranberries, thyme, parsley and pecans. Once quinoa is cooked add to the skillet. Spoon into squash halves and bake in a 300°F oven for 10-15 minutes. When ready to serve drizzle with balsamic glaze and green slices of green onion. Serves 2

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Cherry Dream Bars

Memories of Christmases past when Mom would make these old fashioned dream bars.

Ingredients:

Shortbread layer:

2 cups flour

1/4 cup icing sugar

1 cup butter, at room temperature

Sweet layer:

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 cups glazed cherries, quartered

4 eggs

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1 tsp vanilla

1-2 tbsps finely chopped pistachios (optional topping) 

First grease a 13 X 9" pan then line it with parchment with enough overhang to use later to lift the bars. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine the flour, icing sugar and butter to make a crumbly mixture then press it into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Mix the ingredients for the sweet layer and spread over the bottom. Sprinkle pistachios if using. And pop into the oven for another 25-30 minutes. Cool completely then lift the whole thing out onto a cutting board. Cut into 36 or 48 pieces.

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Steamed Ramekin Dumplings

Wow! These were so easy to make and are, if I do say so myself, pretty impressive! They're just like little dumpling lasagnas! 

Ingredients:

FIlling:

12 dumpling wrappers

1/2 lb ground pork

2 tbsps chicken broth

4 tbsps chopped green onions

4 tsps grated ginger

2 tsps cornstarch

salt and pepper to taste

Chili Crisp Dumpling Sauce:

3 tbsps chili crisp oil

2 tbsps soy sauce

2 tbsp chopped green onions

2 tbsps rice vinegar

spray oil 

sesame seeds and green onion slices to garnish 

Mix the ground pork, broth, green onions, ginger, cornstarch, salt and pepper together. Spray 4 - 4"ramekins with oil. I only had 2 - 4", one a little smaller and one a little bigger but it all worked out. Divide the filling into eighths. Lay a dumpling wrapper in the bottom of each ramekin. Spoon 1/8 filling and spread evenly over the wrapper.Place another wrapper on top, another 1/8 of the filling and finish with another wrapper. Continue until all the ramekins are prepared. These may be prepared to this point earlier in the day. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready, place the uncovered ramekins in a steamer (I used my canning pot and it worked perfectly!) Place the lid on the steamer and steam the dumplings for 15 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. While they cook combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl.

Once cooked slide a spoon under the dumpling and simply slip it out as a perfect addition to this Chinese food plate! Top with Chili Crisp Dumpling Sauce, green onion slices and sesame seeds. Makes 4 servings.

 

Adapted from: sbsfood 

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One Pot Pasta with Leeks

This cozy pasta dish features mildy sweet and delicate leeks. Grown in sandy soil they have to be meticulously cleaned but are definitely worth the effort.

Ingredients:

2 tsps olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

2 leeks, cleaned very carefully then sliced

1 tsp minced garlic

5 1/2 oz pasta (linguini or ricciarelle)

2 3/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

3/4 cup water 

1/2 cup cream cheese or cottage cheese

2 cups chopped spinach 

1 oz shredded cheddar

1 oz parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a pot to medium high. Fry the onion, leeks and garlic together with salt and pepper until translucent, 7-10 minutes. You can add a glug of broth to the pot halfway through the cooking time.  Next add the cream or cottage cheese, then water, broth and pasta. Bring to a boil then simmer covered 10 minutes (or the time it takes for your particular choice of pasta). Finally add the spinach, cheddar and parmesan and stir to melt the cheese. Serves 2 

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Ukrainian Pork Stew

This stew checks all the boxes: melt in your mouth tender pork, lots of veggies with warm, earthy seasonings in a rich gravy. The epitome of comfort food!

Ingredients:

 1 3/4 - 2 lbs pork loin, cut in 1" cubes

4 oz diced mushrooms

2 medium carrots, 1 shredded and 1 diced

1 medium onion, diced

1/8 cup minced garlic

2 tbsps vegetable oil

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp flour

6 cups water or broth

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tbsps mayonnaise

1 tsp lemon juice

green onion slices to garnish

Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan to medium high. Brown pork for 7-8 minutes, searing to just golden. You may need to remove excess liquid. Then remove pork to a plate. In the same skillet add 1 tbsp oil and fry the mushrooms 4-5 minutes. Then add the onions and carrots for 4 minutes followed by the garlic for another minute. Add the flour and spices and stir for 1 minute then pour in the water/broth and ketchup. Return pork to the pan and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat, cover and gently simmer 1 hour. Uncover and simmer another 1 hour. Remove from heat. Mix the mayo and lemon juice together with a bit of the stew juices. This will keep the mayo from curdling.  Now stir into the stew and serve with mashed potatoes and sliced green onions. Serves 4

 Adapted from jayleenrecipes.com

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Coffee Butter Cookies

Subtly sweet and tender little two bite nuggets for National Cookie Day. The original recipe was a piped cookie but I couldn't pipe them. Either the dough was too stiff or my carpal tunnel just wouldn't let me do it. Anyhow necessity is the mother of invention and these Coffee Butter Cookies were born.

Ingredients:

2 tbsps instant coffee granules

2 tbsps hot water

1 cup icing sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 large egg, beaten

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 tsp cinnamon

2 oz semi sweet chocolate

1/4 tsp shortening

1/4 cup chopped pistachios 

1 tbsp cocoa powder 

Dissolve the coffee in hot water and allow to cool. Beat the butter and icing sugar together until light in colour then add the egg. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients. Add the cooled coffee to the butter and icing sugar then add the dry ingredients to wet in 3 additions. Make 1" balls from the dough and place on parchment lined baking sheets. Take a mini whisk, dip it in cocoa powder then press into one side of each ball to make a star pattern. Chill 5-10 minutes then bake at 350°F for 8 minutes. Once the cookies are cooled, melt the chocolate with a little shortening. Dunk one side of the cookie into the chocolate allowing excess to drip off, then dip into chopped pistachios. Chill 15 minutes in the fridge to set the chocolate. Makes 64 cookies. 

Adapted from: jasmafusioncuisine.com

 

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Spicy Kung Pao Chicken

First of December and it's a little chilly out! This Spicy Kung Pao Chicken will warm you right to your toes!

Ingredients:

Marinade:

1 1/2 tbsps soy sauce

1 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tsps cornstarch

1 1/4 lbs chicken breast, cut in 1" cubes

Sauce:

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsps soy

1 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 tsps sesame oil

1 1/2 tbsps honey

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp minced ginger

1/3 cup water

Stir Fry:

2 tbsps vegetable oil, divided

1 bell pepper, cut in 1" squares

2 celery stalks, sliced

3 tsps minced garlic

1/3 cup edamame beans

4 mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, sliced

1 small red hot chili pepper, thinly sliced or chopped

Mix the marinade ingredients together then add the chicken to coat. Let stand 15 minutes. Mix together the sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch (add that only when ready to use). Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil to medium high in a large skillet or wok. Add the onion, pepper, celery and mushrooms. Cook 5-7 minutes then remove to a large bowl. Heat 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil and cook 1/2 the chicken for 3 minutes. Remove to vegetable bowl, then add another 1/2 tbsp oil to the  pan and cook the remainder of the chicken 3 minutes adding the garlic in the last 30 seconds. Return all the chicken and vegetables to the pan along with the edamame, chili pepper and sauce (with the cornstarch added). Heat through. Serves 4 

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No Knead Focaccia Bread

This fluffy, airy focaccia is so easy to make! No kneading and no overnight waiting. Serve as is or slice in half for an awesome sandwich bread! Not gonna lie... it is time consuming, but mostly hands-off time.

2 1/2 cups water, 105-110°F

2 tsps yeast

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp salt

4 tbsps olive oil

5 cups flour

Topping:

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tbsps Kalamata olives, chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp thyme

1 tbsp black sesame seeds

1 tbsp oregano

1 tsp saffron

2 tsps minced garlic

red pepper flakes to taste 

Combine water, yeast, honey, salt and olive oil then add the flour. The dough will be sticky. Cover and rest 30 minutes. Now, with wet hands, stretch and fold the dough 4 times turning the bowl each time. Cover and rest another 30 minutes. Repeat this process (stretch/fold and rest) 3 more times. Oil a 9 X 13" baking dish. Turn the dough out of the bowl into the prepared dish. Fold over once from each side then gently spread the dough to fill the pan. Cover with wax paper or a baking sheet and let rise for 1 hour. Drizzle olive oil and dimple the dough with your fingers, going almost all the way in. Add the toppings and dimple again. Bake in a 450°F oven for 20 minutes. Serves 10-12

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