Blueberry Coffee Cake

Bursting with juicy, plump blueberries, this tender coffee cake with it's crunchy, sweet topping will hit the spot! 

Ingredients:

Streusel:

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsps brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsps room temperature butter

Cake:

1 cup flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 tbsps room temperature butter

1/3 cup milk

1 egg

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups blueberries

Glaze:

1/4 cup icing sugar

1 tsp milk

1/4 tsp vanilla

Combine the streusel ingredients to form a crumble and set aside.

For the cake, mix everything except the blueberries together in a mixer bowl just until combined. Then fold in the berries. Oil a 6" baking dish or ramekin and spread 1/2 the batter. Sprinkle half the streusel, add the rest of the batter then the rest of the streusel.

Bake at 375°F for 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes before cutting.

Even though it looks like a giant muffin, this coffee cake serves 6.

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Cranberry Carrot Muffins

Veggie-loaded with sweet shredded carrots, bursts of tangy, juicy cranberries and a hint of orange. What's not to love in these breakfast muffins?

Ingredients:

1/3 cup avocado oil (or vegetable oil)

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup orange juice

zest of 1 orange

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ginger

2 cups finely shredded carrot

3/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

coarse pink sugar, optional

Combine the oil and sugar, then beat in the eggs. Add the orange juice, zest and vanilla. 

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and ginger together and add to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.

Fold in the carrots and cranberries.

Ladle into paper lined muffin tins. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if using it then bake at 350°F for 23-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Makes 12 delicious medium sized muffins

And that colour ... wow!

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Fake Bake Baklava

Please, Greek friends and family don't get me wrong here ... this is not kataifi, but a cheap and easy reasonable facsimile of the actual delicious Greek dessert. 

Ingredients:

2 shredded wheat cereal

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

3/4 cup water

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 cinnamon stick

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pistachios

Simmer the sugar, honey, water, lemon juice and cinnamon stick in a saucepan for about 15 minutes. Place shredded wheat in serving dishes and slowly pour the liquid over, flip it and pour some more.Top with walnuts. Let it rest so as to absorb the liquid then pour on the balance. Leave for 1 hour then hopefully you can satisfy your Greek dessert craving!

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Honey Sesame Cookies

These chewy, not-too-sweet cookies are packed with sesame flavour from the sesame seeds (obviously) but also from protein packed tahini and just lightly sweetened with honey. Power cookies anyone? 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup tahini

1/2 cup flour

2 tsps vanilla

5 tbsps honey

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsps icing sugar (optional if you want them a little sweeter)

2 pinches salt

1/4 + 1/8 cup sesame seeds

Combine the tahini, flour, vanilla, honey, baking powder, baking soda, icing sugar and salt to make a soft dough.

Make 1" balls and roll them in sesame seeds.

Place the balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and gently press the middles down to form a divot. 

Bake at 350°F for 5-7 minutes until golden.

Even the bottoms look yummy!

Makes 25 cookies

Adapted from: durranskitchen.blogspot.com

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Rice and Black Beans

A classic pairing or rice and black beans that's tasty, healthy and economical. Serve it as a casserole on it's own or alongside fish or chicken.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/3 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced bell pepper

2 tsps minced garlic

3/4 cup canned black beans (more if not having with a meat protein)

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 dashes Tabasco sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth (vegetable broth if you're keeping vegetarian)

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsps oregano

salt and pepper to taste

2 1/2 cups cooked white rice (or brown if you want healthier)

fresh parsley

Sauté onion and bell peppers in hot oil for 2 minutes then add the garlic for 1 minute. Add the black beans, apple cider vinegar, Tabasco and broth and bring to a boil. Then simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and cooked rice and heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings and Tabasco to your taste.

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Serves 4-6 

We had it with our Island Chicken Legs, recipe link here:

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2022/11/island-chicken-legs.html

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Island Chicken Legs

Subtly spiced chicken legs with hints of pineapple. 

Ingredients:

3 chicken legs

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp chicken bouillon powder

2 tsps minced ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp dry thyme

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp turmeric

2 tbsps vegetable oil

1 cup diced onion

1 tsp dry thyme

1 tbsp sweet chili sauce

1 1/2 tsps smoked paprika

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

2 tbsps ketchup

1 cup sliced bell pepper

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp minced garlic

1 1/3 cups chicken broth

Pat the chicken legs dry with a paper towel. Combine the salt, pepper, chicken bouillon powder, 2 tsps minced ginger, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp dry thyme, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and 1/4 tsp turmeric and rub on the chicken. Coat as best you can then refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

To cook, remove the remaining rub pieces from the chicken and reserve for later. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken, then remove to a plate. Add the onion, thyme, sweet chili sauce, paprika, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, ketchup, bell pepper, pineapple, salt and pepper and cook 2 minutes to soften the onion. Add the garlic, reserved rub and broth. Bring to a boil and return the chicken legs to the pan. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°F. 

Goes well with rice and black beans!

Adapted from: africanbites.com

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Slow Cooker Pork and Apples

Easy slow cooker tender, barbecue pork with sweet, saucy apples is a fall dinner hit! 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb boneless pork shoulder

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, sliced

1 cup of your favourite barbecue sauce

2 apples, unpeeled and quartered

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp dry thyme

1/4 tsp black pepper

First, brown the pork in hot oil on all sides in a skillet. Then, sit it on a layer of sliced onions in your crock pot. Mix the BBQ sauce and apple cider vinegar together and coat the pork with the sauce. Sprinkle it with thyme and pepper and add the apple quarters all around.

Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 6-7 hours. If you want to speed things up, cook on high for about 4 1/2 hours.

Remove to a platter and rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 4

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