Creamy Avocado and Broccoli Soup

Eat your greens!

And don't waste those broccoli stems. Once you've trimmed the florets from your broccoli for dinner, save the stems. You can even stick them in the freezer until you have enough to use.

2 avocados
1 medium onion, diced
3 cups sliced broccoli stems
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1  1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp lime juice
2 cups 10% table cream
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
Pepper to taste


Heat onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add broth and chopped broccoli stems and cook until tender. Add mashed avocado and lime juice and simmer 5 minutes.

Add cream and seasonings and blend in a food processor.

Taste and adjust seasonings to your taste.

Makes 6 cups

Scrap Apple Jelly

After making my Sugar Free Pear and Apple Sauce or if you have a lot of peels and cores left from a favourite recipe of your own, use them to make this pretty jelly.

20 apple peels, approximately 2 - 2  1/2 cups
6 cups water
1-2 cups unsweetened apple juice
6 tbsps pectin
9 cups sugar

Bring the scraps and water to a boil in a large pot, then simmer uncovered for 30 - 45 minutes.

Once simmered lay a large piece of cheesecloth over a colander in a pot. Pour the liquid and scraps in and leave to drain for about 30 minutes.

Gather the cheesecloth up, do not squeeze, and save the peels in a container. That's right I'm not done with them yet!

Measure the liquid and add apple juice (or more water) to measure 7 cups in total.

Add 6 tbsps pectin and bring to a boil. When you've got a good boil going add the sugar and return to a boil for 1-2 minutes or until the jelly coats the back of a spoon. It should reach a temperature of 220 F/ 104 C

Remove from heat and carefully pour the hot jelly into sterilized jars.

Again here's the link to sterilizing and processing jars.
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2016/09/sterilize-and-process-jars.html

For jelly you need only process for 5 minutes. Check seals after 24 hours. Makes 12 - 1/2 cup jars and 4 - 1/2 pints.

Here's the link to that Sugar Free Pear and Apple Sauce I mentioned.
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2016/11/sugar-free-pear-and-apple-sauce.html
Oh ya, and the scrap peels (not cores) you kept.  Top off your furr friend's kibble with some chopped peel scraps for a real treat!

And if you need to fix a jam or jelly (it happens) I found this great link to help
http://www.pickyourown.org/how_to_fix_runny_jam.htm
Recipe adapted from http://www.firefliesandmudpies.com/2012/10/10/apple-fest-2012-apple-scrap-jelly

Sugar Free Pear and Apple Sauce

Yep, sugar free! Just fruit and water.....

2 lbs pears
4 lbs cooking apples
2 cups water

Peel and core the apples, about 20 of them. (Keep the peels and cores aside. I'll tell you why later on)

Cut the apples into large chunks and put them in a deep pot.

In the interest of full disclosure I admit I used canned pears here. Of course fresh would be better, but I saw these unsweetened, packed in water (not syrup) pears and thought it would be a bit of a time saver.

Anyways, cut the pears and add to the apples. I used the water from the canned pears and just had to top it up with a little tap water to make 2 cups. Add that to the pot. I added a few pieces of peel too.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until your apples are soft.

Mash or use a food processor or immersion blender depending on the consistency you want. You can blend the cooked peel in or remove it. Your choice.

Fill sterilized jars

and process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes.

Here's a link to how I sterilize and process jars.
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2016/09/sterilize-and-process-jars.html 

They all popped really nicely when I removed them from the hot water. Check your seals after 24 hours, if they haven't sealed re-do the process or keep refrigerated.

I made 12 1/2 cup jars and 4 pints.

Oh yes....about the reserved peels. You might like to use them in Scrap Apple Jelly.

Waste not, want not!
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2016/11/scrap-apple-jelly.html

Sausage Apples

Here's a variation on the Baked Sausage Stuffed Apples I made last fall. You can find that recipe at the end of this post.

4 pork and beef breakfast sausages
1/2 small onion, minced
3 large baking apples
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp sage
salt and pepper to taste

Remove the sausage casings and break the meat up in a skillet.

Cut the tops off the apples and scoop out the middles using a small ice cream scoop or melon baller. Discard the core and chop up the apple. Add it to the meat along with the minced onion.

Add the seasonings and cook just until the meat is no longer pink. Stuff the hollowed out apples, place the tops back on and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.

I served them over cheddar mashed potatoes, drizzled with the pan juices from the apples.

You might also like:

Baked Sausage Stuffed Apples
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2015/10/baked-sausage-stuffed-apples.html

Spiced Oatmeal Everything Cookies

A little bit of everything goes a long way.
Great as a breakfast cookie, seriously.  They've got fruit, nuts and oatmeal.  And coffee!

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup instant coffee granules

Cream the butter and sugars together, then add eggs and vanilla.

Mix the flour, salt, baking soda and powder, cinnamon and allspice together and incorporate into the butter mixture. Add the rolled oats, cranberries, walnuts and coffee. Take heaping tablespoonfuls and roll into balls. Place on lined cookie sheet and press the middle down gently.

Bake at 350 F for 10 - 12 minutes

One Hour French Bread

What do you mean, you do not have time to make bread? You can make this one while getting other stuff ready for dinner.

1 tbsp honey
1  1/2 tsp salt
1  1/2 cup warm tap water
1 tbsp yeast
4 - 4  1/2 cups flour

Put the honey and salt in the bottom of a very large bowl. Add warm water and sprinkle the yeast on top and leave it for 20 minutes.

Go back to what you were making for supper.

After 20 minutes add the flour to the yeast mixture and knead a few minutes. Don't freak out, it's easy! Once the dough is nice and elasticy cover with a tea towel and walk away for 20 minutes.

Supper must be almost ready by now.

Peek under the tea towel, the dough has risen eh?

So transfer dough to a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal, snip it with scissors a few times.

Put a pan of water on the bottom rack, the bread on the middle rack and bake in a 400 F oven for 20 - 25 minutes.

Now you have time to sit down and have a glass of wine.

Fresh hot bread in just ONE hour!
You're welcome : )

Banana Walnut Bread with Ricotta

This is one moist banana bread

1/4 cup melted butter
3 ripe bananas
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup ricotta
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1  1/2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
A pinch or 2 of nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts


Mash the bananas and add the melted butter and egg. 
Next add the sugar, ricotta and vanilla. 

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Combine these dry ingredients with the banana mixture and fold in the walnuts.

Pour (or dollop) into a parchment lined 9 X 5" loaf pan.

Place on bottom rack in a 350 F oven for 65-75 minutes. 
A cake tester should come out clean.

Cool 20 minutes before removing from pan, then cool completely on rack before slicing.