Caramel Peach Cobbler

This little rhyme..."Cobbler, cobbler mend my shoe", has been floating around in my head. Do young people even know what a cobbler is anymore? Anyways, this cobbler has nothing to do with shoes...

2 cups sliced peaches, unpeeled (about 3 peaches)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1  1/2 tsps cornstarch
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup peach or apple juice

1 cup Bisquick baking mix (or homemade mix see below)
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine, melted

Toss the sliced peaches with balsamic vinegar. Yes vinegar, really!

Next, in a saucepan mix together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and juice and cook on medium heat for about 1 minute until it comes to a boil and starts to thicken. Add the peaches and set aside.

Mix the baking mix, milk, nutmeg, and cinnamon together, then add the margarine.

Pour the batter into a lightly sprayed 8 X 8" baking dish. Spoon the peaches over top.

Bake in 375F oven for 50-60 minutes.

And if you happen to have caramel ripple ice cream on hand all the better!

If you'd like to make your own baking mix here's the link. It's really easy to make and handy to have.

http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2016/03/homemade-bisquick-baking-mix.html

P.S. Cobbler=shoemaker ; )

Cuban Mojo BBQ Pork Roast

Holy moly it was nice out today! Probably one of the last good days to barbecue, we thought. Then it got pretty cool. My grillmaster powered through.

2 lb boneless pork roast
2 tbsps lime juice
2 tbsps lemon juice
1/4 tsp lime zest
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
1 tsp molasses
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil

Mix everything together and spoon over the pork. I like to use a ziplock plastic bag with as much air as possible removed so the marinade covers the meat.

Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight so the flavours can ooze into the meat!

Remove the pork from the marinade and barbecue at 450F to sear all sides, then reduce heat to 350F and using indirect heat, close the lid and BBQ 45-60 minutes.

Rest 15 minutes before slicing.

Hope we have a few more days like this before the snow starts falling.

Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Bowl

We had some pretty miserable weather yesterday but today the sun is shining for the trick-or-treaters!
And tomorrow you can cook up those jack-o-lanterns for pumpkin purée.

1 serving size cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup pumpkin purée
1 - 1  1/2 tsp honey
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp allspice

Whirl everything together in a blender and add your favourite toppings.

I've got strawberry, pineapple, walnuts, oats, flax and those little jewels are yellow pomegranate seeds!

Happy Halloween 🎃

French Onion Soup

It's cold and windy today... a French Onion Soup kinda day!

1  1/2 cups thinly sliced onion
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsps flour
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp minced garlic
4 cups beef broth
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup white wine
1  1/2 cups shredded Gruyère or Gouda cheese
holland rusk or croutons

Melt butter in a large dutch oven and add onions. Heat on medium low and cook about 50 minutes.

Add garlic for the last minute.

Mix salt, sugar, pepper, flour and thyme together and stir into the onions, cooking for 3-5 minutes.

Add broth, worcestershire and white wine, whisking to avoid lumps. Cover and simmer 25 minutes.

Fill onion soup bowls with soup leaving about 1". Top with holland rusk or croutons and shredded cheese. Give them each a grind or two of black pepper.

Broil 2-4 minutes to nicely brown the cheese.

Serves 4

Pineapple Upside Down Minis

If you feel like Pineapple Upside Down Cake but don't have the time, these little minis take a third of the time to bake and taste just as good! And you take care of that craving!

4 tbsps butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
A couple of fresh pinepple slices
Maraschino cherries

Cake:
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
4 tbsps juice (pineapple or apple)
2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt

Measure the brown sugar out and top with 4 tbsps of butter. Microwave on high 30 seconds then stir together. Pour into muffin tins, approximately 1 tbsp in each. No need to grease pan.

Place pieces of pineapple and maraschinos on top.

Mix cake batter ingredients together and pour over fruit, again about 1 tbsp of batter each.

Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Done when a cake tester comes out clean.

Once you take them out of the oven run a knife around the edges immediately so the sugar doesn't have time to set, then place a baking pan or griddle on top and flip the pan upside down.

Super easy!

And that leftover pineapple?  Give this Thai Pineapple Chicken and Rice and try.
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2017/10/thai-pineapple-chicken-and-rice.html

Thai Pineapple Chicken and Rice

No need for takeout. Seriously.

2 boneless chicken breasts, cut in 1 - 1 1/2" cubes
2 tbsps coconut oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp mild curry
1  1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
1 large red pepper, diced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsps minced garlic
1/3 cup peanuts
2 or 3 tbsps shredded coconut
3 cups cooked and chilled jasmine rice
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp sriracha sauce
1 tsp sweet chili sauce
1 tsp lime juice

Have the rice previously cooked and chilled.

Heat coconut oil in a skillet and add chicken that has been seasoned with salt, pepper and curry. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink and just slightly golden, about 3-5 minutes. Remove to a plate.

Add pineapple, red pepper and onion to the skillet and cook on medium-high 3-5 minutes. Toss in garlic, peanuts and coconut for 1 minute then add the rice. 

Stir soya, sriracha, sweet chili sauce and lime juice together and add to the pan along with the chicken. Once it's heated through it's ready to serve.

Serves 4

Leftover pineapple?  How about Pineapple Upside Down Minis?
http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2017/10/pineapple-upside-down-minis.html

Pickled Beets

Sometimes the only way to get people to eat beets is to pickle them!

10 lbs beets

3 cups vinegar

2 cups brown sugar

20 whole cloves

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Keep the stem and root ends of the beets intact, do not peel yet! Wash, then sort by size and place in salted water, enough to cover. Cook in boiling water until tender. Small beets 15-20 minutes, medium 20-30 and large could take up to an hour.

Once cooked drain and drop into cold water for 1 minute. Use your (gloved) hands to rub the peels off. Some areas may be a little stubborn and you'll have to use a knife but generally the peels will slip right off.

Now slice the beets and pack into sterilized jars.

Combine the vinegar, brown sugar, cloves, salt and pepper in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil then pour over the beets to cover.

Before sealing ensure that there are no air bubbles in the jars. If you see one just slide a skewer down inside the jar to remove it. Now you can place the lids on. 

There is no need to process these pickles just make sure the next day that all are sealed. The original recipe came from Five Roses - A Guide to Good Cooking first published in 1913 and my famiy has been making these pickled beets for generations.