Red Lentil Sweet Potato Curry

I'm hunkered down in my house watching the blowing snow and dreariness, not wanting to venture out into this yucky spring snowstorm.  For dinner, I wanted to use what was available in my pantry and freezer, and came up with this Thai curry inspired stew.  You can add any veggies you like, and make it into a full and delicious meal in itself, but, as I had leftover roast chicken and since my husband loves vegetarian food as long as it has chicken in it, I added that in.  Very delicious and soul warming.

Red Lentil Sweet Potato Curry

2 medium sweet potatoes, small dice

1 T red curry paste

1 c chicken stock or water

400ml can coconut milk

2/3 c red lentils

3 kaffir lime leaves

juice of 1 lime

1 clove garlic

grated ginger - about 1 tsp

grated lemongrass - 1 stalk (bottom 3")

1 c peas

1/2 c edamame

1 c chopped, cooked chicken

In a large Dutch Oven, over medium high heat, drizzle olive oil.  Add the sweet potato and curry paste.  Cook for 2 minutes.  deglaze pan with stock.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add the coconut milk and remaining ingredients.  Stir, reduce heat to low, cover pot and cook for 30-45 minutes.  Remove lime leaves and serve with bread.

Ginger Cookies

This was a recipe request from my niece.  As spring has suddenly turned into winter today, these are a nice "comfy" treat to make.  I know these have zero nutritional value, but, on the plus size (ha ha, pun intended), they have no preservatives.  And it's not like you bake and eat cookies every day, right?

 Grandma's Ginger Cookies

3/4 c margarine

1 c white sugar

1 egg

1/2 c molasses*

2 1/2 c all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ginger (fresh or ground is fine)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c chopped candied ginger (optional)

Mix together all ingredients and roll into 1" balls.  Roll the balls in sugar.  Place on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet and bake 350F for 10-12 min.

*Spray a measuring cup with cooking spray and then measure in the molasses.  This ensures the molasses does not stick to the cup!

Pea Ricotta Mint "Ravioli's"

I have no picture of these as I brought them to a friend's house for dinner and they got gobbled up so quick, that I didn't have time to take a picture.  And I thought a photo of an empty plate was just mean, so use your imagination on these. 

It starts with those packaged wonton wrappers you buy in the Produce section of your grocery store.  These are the "ravioli."  You can then put absolutely anything in them.  So fun and quick and easy to make.  I put peas and ricotta and mint together to serve as a side with roast chicken and celery root puree.  A very nice twist to the traditional vegetable side.

All I did was put 1/2 cup of thawed (frozen) peas in a food processor, along with 1/4 cup ricotta, 1 tsp freshly chopped mint, salt and pepper.  On a flat, clean work surface, spoon a teaspoon of the pea/ricotta mixture on a wonton wrapper.  Moisten the edges of the wonton with water and fold over into a triangle.  Secure the edges with your fingers, ensuring they stick.  Once you've made as much as you desire, you can freeze* them, or cook them in a pot of boiling water until they float to the top (3-5 min).  Easy peasy.  Serve with roast chicken or roast pork with gravy, or just on their own.

*To freeze, lay each ravioli on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper, ensuring none are touching.  Place in the freezer until frozen, then you can transfer them to a plastic bag and none of them will stick together! 

250 Calorie Scones

I had a litre of buttermilk in my fridge leftover from a recipe, and never know what to do with the remains.  Fortunately, in my internet search, I came across these  Cranberry Scones that use buttermilk, but also whole wheat flour and a no-calorie sweetener.  These scones turned out wonderful.  I would interchange cranberries for blueberries for more fibre, but any fruit you have on hand would work.

Braised Short Ribs

I found this recipe for Braised Short Ribs in a magazine and decided to try it.  What I like about this recipe is that you can mix it up a lot.  Don't get hung up on the ingredient list as this turned out to be similar to beef stew.  You could interchange the panchetta for back bacon, or eliminate it altogether.  I don't think it's essential to get the most expensive and exotic mushrooms, but it does call for something "meaty," so cremini's or portobellas would work best.  Some good beef stock would be excellent in this if you have an aversion to alcohol, and, while you're at it, you can even use a a different cut of beef.  Essentially, it's a good base, and if you like short ribs, you will enjoy this.

Breakfast Quinoa

This is the best breakfast ever!  So good for you.  No added sugar or salt.  Just simple, plain, healthy ingredients to play around with.  All I did was cook up some quinoa with fruit.  In this case, I used pears, but apples or peaches would work well.  Added cinnamon and some lemon juice.  Cooked it until the quinoa was done.  That's it!  Excellent way to start the day!

1/2 c dry quinoa

1 c water

1 pear, peeled and diced

1 tsp cinnamon

juice of 1/2 lemon

In a saucepan, add all ingredients.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10-15 min, or until quinoa is cooked.

Celery Root

This weird looking tubor is called "celeriac," or celery root, a cousin to celery.  The stalks are not edible, and you have to peel the outer husk off the actual root, like a turnip.  As it is a root vegetable, it is nice to use in soups and stews, and can even be included grated raw in a salad as it tastes like celery with a hint of parsley.  It is high in dietary fibre, and very high in potassium and vitamin c. 

I've committed myself to locating an unknown grocery/vegetable item and figuring out how to prepare it.  I used a friend as a guinea pig as she recently got out of hospital and I wanted to cook her a comforting, easily digestible meal.  So, I chopped up a celery root with some white potatoes and apples, poured some organic apple juice over top and cooked it on the stove until soft.  Added a bit of cream and blended it to make an interesting and delicious accompaniment to roasted chicken.  It would taste great thinned out as a soup as well - just add a bit of stock.  Everyone loved it, especially the guest of honor!  Although I shouldn't pat myself on the back too much.  I mean, hospital food is kind of bland. :) 

Celery Root, Potato, Apple Puree

Serves 6

3 T olive oil

1 celery root, peeled and diced into 1" cubes

4 small/medium white potatoes, peeled and diced into 1" cubes

3 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1" cubes

1/2 organic apple juice

salt and pepper

1/4 c half and half cream

In large stock pot, over medium heat, saute the celery root, potatoes and apples in the olive oil, until softened (about 5 min).  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add the apple juice, cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for about 45 min, until the vegetables and fruit are very soft.  Add the cream.  Transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth (can also use an immersion blender).  Taste for salt and pepper and serve warm.

The Best Meatballs EVER!

You can call me a boaster, but I guarantee that if you make these meatballs for a guy he will ask you to marry him.  If you are already married, your husband will marry you all over again.  If you make these for a friend they will exclaim "Mmmmm....yummm...nummy nummy nummy" and request it for every birthday dinner you ever make them.  If you make them for your boss, you will get a raise.  If you make these......well, you get the point.


These little morsels of meat delight are the most requested food I make.  Once people try them, they beg me to always make them, and beg me for the recipe.  I deliberated over posting this recipe, and then figured I needed a break.  Maybe someone will make them for me now :)  AND, imitation is the greatest form of flattery.


The two key ingredients are pomegranate molasses and the spice called Sumac which is reddish/brown/purple and has a lovely lemon taste and fragrance.  Sprinkling it on couscous, rice or hummus adds a wonderful tang. You can locate these two important ingredients at specialty Middle Eastern grocers.

Lamb Meatballs

Serves 4-6

1 lb ground lamb

1 tsp sumac

1 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 clove garlic, minced

1 egg

1/3 c bread  crumbs

salt and pepper

Sauce:

1 c water

zest and juice of 1 lemon

4 T pomegranate molasses

In a bowl, mix together the lamb with all the spices, egg and bread crumbs.  Roll into approximately 1" diameter balls.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, fry the meatballs in 1-2 T oil.  When brown on all sides, remove meatballs from skillet and drain on paper towel.  Add the water, lemon juice and zest and pomegranate molasses  to the skillet and turn the heat down to low.  Add the meatballs back into the skillet and and cover with a lid.  Cook until the meatballs are cooked through (approximately 5-10 min).  Remove the meatballs from the skillet.  Turn the heat to high and boil the remaining liquid until it reduces into a thick sauce.  Pour over the meatballs.  Serve with couscous and whole wheat pita.

Couscous

1 2/3 c water or stock

1 c whole wheat couscous

1 peeled, seeded and chopped cucumber

1 seeded and chopped tomato

1 seeded and chopped red pepper

1/2 c chopped fresh parsley

1/4 c chopped fresh mint

1 tsp sumac

salt and pepper

1 T olive oil

zest and juice of 1 lemon

In a medium saucepan, bring the water or stock to a boil.  Add the couscous and cover the pot, removing it from the heat.  After 5 min, fluff with a fork and all remaining ingredients.

Butternut Squash Lasagna and Horseradish Marmalade Ham

Lasagna is one of those meals I make sparingly.  Because of it's heaviness, I indulge in it only for a very special occasion.  There are so many different versions out there for meat and vegetable lasagnas, that, basically, anything goes.  If you break it down, it's just a casserole, so it's not hard to mess it up.

For my husband's office Christmas party, I made two lasagnas.  One meat and the other was this butternut squash one, which received rave reviews from a lot of the guests.  I guess because it was different, and the fact that the main ingredient was a vegetable made it seem all that more healthy.  I roasted the butternut squash and then pureed it.  What is nice about the squash, is that if you don't have time to make lasagna or ravioli or soup with it, you can just freeze the puree for another day.  Well, that day came for me, and I made a quick butternut squash lasagna with, basically, leftovers.  My 1 year old son loved it.  I added minced chicken because that was leftover, and, well, my husband always thinks vegetarian food tastes great, but would taste even better with chicken!

The ham is my husband's cooking highlight which we have made often over the years.  Super simple sauce, and it can be whipped up for a big feast (like Easter), or for a weekday treat.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Serves 8-10

1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1" cubes

olive oil for drizzling

salt and pepper

no boil lasagna noodles (or lasagna noodles of your choice)

2 c grated mozarella cheese

1/4 c butter

approximately 3 T flour

1 c milk (I use skim, but use whatever you have on hand)

1 c chicken stock

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Peel and chopped the butternut squash.  Pour into a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Mix with your hands so the oil and spices are incorporated.  Ensure the squash is on the pan in an even layer.  Roast in the oven for 45 min, or until the butternut squash is soft.  Cool for about 5 min and put into a food processor to puree.  Add the garlic and thyme and puree until smooth.  Set aside. (if you are adding chicken, just add it to this puree).

Meanwhile in a medium size saucepan, heat the butter over medium high heat.  Once it is melted, add enough flour that the butter is absorbed and the mixture looks like a paste.  Cook for 1 min.  Add the chicken stock, mixing with a whisk so there are no lumps.  Incorporate the milk.  Let the mixture thicken (if it is too thick, add more liquid).  Add the nutmeg.

Spray a lasagna pan with cooking spray.  Add a few spoonfuls of the puree and white sauce to the bottom of the pan (just a thin layer to cover the bottom and allow the noodles to cook).  Add a layer of lasagna noodles, cover with a 1/3 of the squash mixture, 1/4-1/2 c white sauce, 1/2 c mozzarella.  Repeat layers until the squash mixture is used up, ending with the cheese on top.  Cover with tinfoil.

Bake in 350F oven for 45 min.  Increase the temperature to 375F and remove the tinfoil and bake for 5 min, until the top is golden brown.

Horseradish-Marmalade Ham

(Adapted From Epicurious.com)

1, 18 pound bone in smoked ham, room tempertaure

About 48 whole cloves

4 c water

1 c orange marmalade (or apricot jam or peach jam)

1/4 c brown sugar

1/4 c prepared horseradish

2 c orange juice (or pineapple juice)

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Place ham on rack set in large roasting pan. Using sharp knife, score ham in diamond pattern. Press 1 clove into center of each diamond. Pour 4 cups water into roasting pan. Roast ham 1 hour 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, blend marmalade, horseradish, and sugar in medium bowl*.

Remove ham from oven. Transfer ham to baking sheet. Discard pan juices. Return ham to roasting pan. Add orange juice to roasting pan. Brush top of ham with 1/3 of marmalade glaze. Bake ham 10 minutes. Baste with orange juice in pan, then brush with half of remaining glaze. Bake ham 10 minutes. Baste with orange juice in pan and brush with remaining glaze. Roast ham until heated through, basting every 5 minutes, about 20 minutes longer. Let ham rest 15 minutes. Transfer to platter. Serve ham hot, warm, or at room temperature. 

*reserve some of the horseradish sauce as a condiment to put on top of the ham