Grandma's Oatmeal Cookies

A taste of comfort

Ingredients
225ml (1 cup) shortening
225ml (1 cup) brown sugar
675ml (3 cups) quick rolled oats
340ml (1 1/2 cups) flour
5ml (1 teaspoon) baking soda
2 eggs

Preparation
1. Blend well ingredients, adding in eggs at the end.
2. Roll out and cut into shapes.
3. Bake at 170°-180° (325°-350° F) for 5 to 6 minutes.

Watercress Salsa Verde

Incredible blast of sensations

Ingredients

1 clove of garlic, crushed

4 anchovy fillets, drained

15ml (1 tablespoon) capers, rinsed to remove the vinegar and drained

30ml (2 tablespoons) fresh flat parsley leaves

15ml (1 tablespoon) fresh basil leaves

Good handful of watercress, roughly chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

30ml (2 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil

15ml (1 tablespoon) lemon juice

Preparation

1. Place ingredients in a mini food processor and blitz until sauce is well combined.

2. Serve a dollop of salsa with pork, beef, tuna or trout.

Makes 4 servings.

This recipe was taken from The Holford Low-GL Diet Cookbook, 2005.

Grilled Veggie Wrap

Mouthwatering

Ingredients
Serves 2
1 zucchini, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
15ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil
15ml (1 tablespoon) balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, chopped (optional)
freshly ground black pepper
1 small handful pine nuts
1 handful fresh basil (optional)
20ml (2 tablespoon) humus
1 tortilla wrap

Preparation
1. Preheat grill to a high heat.
2. Put vegetables onto a baking tray in a single layer.
3. Add olive oil, vinegar and garlic; toss to ensure all well covered.
4. Grind over black pepper and place under grill for about 5 minutes or until golden brown, being careful not to burn.
5. Toss, sprinkle with pine nuts and put back under grill for minutes.
6. Spread humus on wrap, add veggies and basil and roll wrap.
7. Serve immediately.

This recipe was taken from The GL Diet Cookbook, 2006

Mom's Creton: French-Canadian meat-spread

Creton is to Quebec what Guinness is to Ireland

Ingredients

500g (1lb) minced veal

250ml (1 cup) breadcrumbs

125ml (1/2 cup) milk

125ml (1/2 cup) water

30ml (2 tablespoons) chicken bouillon (powder)

1 finely chopped onion

60ml (1/4 cup) finely chopped celery

2ml (1/2 teaspoon) All Spice

5ml (1 teaspoon) salt

2ml (1/2 teaspoon) black pepper

Preparation

1. Dilute chicken bouillon in water and mix with milk and breadcrumbs in a microwaveable dish.

2. Add veal, onion, celery, All Spice, salt and pepper.

3. Cover and cook in microwave for 7-8 minutes at High (100% power).

4. Using a fork, crumble veal placing cooked meat towards center.

5. Re-cover and cook for another 7-8 minutes at High (100% power).

6. Let rest for 5 minutes.

7. If you would like to have a finer textured Creton, place Creton in a blender when lukewarm and blitz for a few seconds.

Light & Tasty Strawberry Jam

Pure taste of summer

Ingredients

2L (8 cups) halved strawberries

250ml (1 cup) granulated sugar

120ml (1/2 cup) maple or corn syrup

120ml (1/2 cup) water

30ml (1 tablespoons) lemon juice

Preparation

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed non-aluminum saucepan and using potato masher, crush half of strawberries. Add remaining strawberries and water.

2. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in sugar, syrup and lemon juice; return to boil and boil vigorously, uncovered and stirring almost constantly, for 15-20 minutes or just until softly set (will take longer is using maple syrup).

4. Remove from heat; using metal spoon, skim off foam.

5. Ladle into canning jars, leaving 5cm (1/4 inch) head space. Seal jars; process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Let cool on racks.

6. Store in cool, dry place for up to 4 months. Once opened, store in refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

Makes 1 L (4 cups)

Variations

1. Raspberry: Substitute whole raspberries for strawberries. Omit lemon juice.

2. Peach Apricot: Substitute 1L (4 cups) each chopped, peeled peaches and apricots for strawberries; reduce lemon juice to 15ml (1 tablespoon).

Mom's Banana Nut Bread

A taste of home

Ingredients
560ml (2 1/2 cups) flour, sifted
12ml (3 teaspoons) baking powder
2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon) salt
170ml (3/4 cup) walnut meats
225ml (1 cup) sugar
75ml (1/3 cup) soft butter
1 egg
3 small bananas, cut up
110ml (1/2 cup) milk

Preparation
1. In medium size bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. Put walnut meats into food processor container. Press button 4-10 seconds. Add to dry ingredients.
3. Place sugar, butter, egg, bananas and milk in food processor container. Press for 6-15 seconds. Stop to push bananas down with spatula if necessary. Pour over dry ingredients and mix until ingredients are well moistened.
4. Pour batter into greased (9x5 inch) loaf pan.
5. Bake in preheated 180°C (350°F) oven for 1 hour. Cool on rack.

Rice Krispie Treats

An old classic which always brings smiles

Ingredients

110ml (1/2 cups) butter

200-285g (7-10 oz) regular marshmallows, approximately 40 marshmallows, or (3 cups) miniature marshmallows

2.5ml (1/2 teaspoons) vanilla extract

1120-1350ml (5-6 cups) puffed rice cereal

Preparation

1. Melt butter in saucepan.

2. Add marshmallows and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until marshmallows are melted and mixture is well blended.

3. Remove from heat.

4. Stir in vanilla.

5. Add cereal and stir until well-coated.

6. Press warm marshmallow treats mixture lightly into buttered 33x23cm (13x9 inch) pan.

Old-Fashion French-Canadian Pea Soup

A satisfying meal on a cold winter day

Ingredients

450ml (2 cups) yellow split peas

1.35L (6 cups) cold water

225g bacon, cut into small pieces

1 big yellow onion, peeled and chopped

3 celery branches, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 bay leaf

2.5l (1/2 teaspoon) black pepper

15ml (1 tablespoon) chicken bouillon or as per package instructions

Preparation

1. Rinse split peas until water is clear.

2. Place split peas in slow cooker (Crock-Pot).

3. Add remaining ingredients.

4. Cook on High for 6 hours; decrease heat to Low and cook for another 2 hours.

5. Remove bay leaf and serve. If you prefer a smoother consistency, you can blend batches of soup and reheat before serving.

Date Cake with Caramel Sauce

Silky, moist, rich ... a pleasurable surprise for the palette

Ingredients
250g pitted dates
310ml boiling water
15ml baking soda
a little oil
150g brown sugar
60g butter
2 eggs
150g flour with incorporate yeast (or alternatively, add as per package instructions)

Preparation
1. Place oven grill so as to place the cake in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven at 150C (300F).
2. Place dates, boiling water and baking soda in food processor; let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Grease bottom and sides of cake mold with oil; place a piece of parchment paper at bottom.
4. Add brown sugar and butter to date mixture; mix for 5 seconds until dates are coarsely chopped.
5. Add eggs, then flour; mix for 5 to 10 seconds. Scrapped flour that is not mixed from the sides using a spatula and mix shortly again.
6. Pour the mixture into the cake mold and bake for 55 minutes.
7. Cake will be ready when you press the top with 2 fingers it is firm and sides must have slightly shrunk from the sides of the mold. When testing cake with a toothpick, it should come out free of any dough mixture. If you need to bake it further, put it in for an additional 5 minutes then test again. When ready, take out of oven and let it stand for 5 minutes.
8. Place a cake rack on top of mold; hold rack and mold and unmold upside down. Remove parchment paper. Using a second cake rack and flip it back delicately.
9. Serve cake warm with caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
200g brown sugar
100g butter
300ml crème fraîche or Greek yogurt

Preparation
1. Melt butter and sugar over medium-low heat.
2. With a wooden spoon mix in crème fraîche.
3. When butter is completely melted, bring to a boil. Stir consistently until sauce is smooth.

This recipe was taken from Recettes Faciles: Marabout Côté Cuisine, 2000.

Cheddar Butternut Squash Soup

A taste of sunshine.

Ingredients
900g (2lbs) butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
900ml (4 cups) chicken and vegetable broth
225ml (1 cup) crème fraîche or sour cream
115g (1/2 cup) sharp Cheddar grated
30g (2 tablespoons) salted butter
1.25ml (1/4 teaspoon) ground red pepper (cayenne)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Herb of your choice to garnish.

Preparation
1. In large saucepan, combine squash and broth. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and let stand until slightly cooled; purée in batches in blender.
3. Return purée to saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Stir in crème fraîche or sour cream, cheddar, butter and red pepper. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Stir until heated through; do not allow to boil.
5. Served with herb garnish.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Red Pepper Soup

I love peppers: raw, broiled, sautéed, steamed, stir fried...

Ingredients
7 red bell peppers
3 carrots, peeled
3 shallots
garlic clove
1 pear, peeled and cored
15ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil
60ml (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1L (4 cups) Chicken broth
2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon) red pepper flakes
Dash of cayenne pepper
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation
1. Slice thin 6 peppers, the carrots, shallots, garlic, and pear.
2. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet and sauté vegetables and pear over medium-low heat until tender (8-10 minutes).
3. Add stock, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 25-30 minutes.
4. While soup is cooking, roast remaining red pepper under a hot broiler, rotating them until completely charred. Put them in a paper bag for 5-10 minutes to "sweat". Rub off blackened skin and remove seeds. Drain on paper towels.
5. Purée the soup in a food processor or blender, adding the roasted pepper. Pour purée soup back into the pan and reheat over low heat.

Makes 4 - 6 servings.

This recipe was taken from The Martha Stewart Cookbook, 1995.

Bâton Rouge Ribs

The secret of these scrumptious ribs is in their boiling.

Ingredients
Pork spareribs
225ml (1 cup) ketchup
55ml (1/4 cup) molasses
55ml (1/4 cup) vinegar
2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon) salt
0.625ml (1/8 teaspoon) black pepper
0.625ml (1/8 teaspoon) garlic powder or garlic salt
30ml (2 tablespoons) sugar

Preparation
1. Boil spareribs for 30 minutes.
2. Mix all other ingredients for the sauce.
3. Coat the spareribs with the sauce and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven at 170°C (325°F).
5. Place spareribs on a grill above a pan and cook them for 40 minutes, turning them over half way. You can also cook them on a barbecue.