Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothy

A quick pick me up any time of the day for mom and kids. Why does a treat need to be laden with sugar. Here is an alternative...sure to please.

In a blender

6 ice cubes
2 sm. bananas
1-1/2Tbsp peanut butter
1c. chocolate milk
1c. milk

Combine in blender. Serve with straws.

For mom's portion add 2 shots espresso - cool with an ice cube before adding above mixture.

Chicken and Guacamole Burgers on W/W Foccaccia Buns...this the season for the BBQ

The weather has been so incredibly nice, who wants to be in the kitchen. Time to take the cooking outdoors... Last night we cooked and ate outside at long last spring has sprung.

When I buy chicken breasts I remove the tenders and freeze em up for later. Stretches your buck, decreases the portion size and they make such a great dinner alternative. Chicken tenders are well tender, they defrost and cook fast and they are very versatile. I used tenders for this recipe but whole b/s would work just the same.

My family loves guacamole, barely a shopping trip passes where I don't pick up a couple avocados, so I am always looking for new dinners to incorporate them. Avocados are surprisingly one of nature's super foods with fourteen minerals, including iron, copper and potassium. Vitamins in avocados include A, B-complex, C, and E, magnesium and phosphorus.

Chicken and Guac Burgers on W/W Focaccia Buns (serves 4)

Buns:
Bread machine (dough 2 lb. setting)
- 1-1/2 c. water
- 2 T. evoo
- 1 tsp. each rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano dried
- 2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 2c. w/w flour
- 2-1/4c. white flour
- 2-1/2 tsp quick yeast
Once done dough cyle shape into 12 buns, rise 50 minutes, spray with olive oil sprayer, top with sea salt and fine grate asiago cheese. Bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes.

For the burgers:

Grill 10 tenders (evoo and s&p) on BBQ
Guacamole (mash 2 avocados, zest and juice of one lime, 1 T. chopped parsley)
jalapeno monteray jack cheese slices
fresh tomatoe slices
lettuce

On one side of the bun 2-3 T guac (no chincing here), on the other a little mayo. Place the lettuce and tomatoe on the mayo and the chicken and monterey jack on the guac side. The lucky diner can put them together if you like.

Enjoy.

I skipped the cheese for the kids burgers - a little tangy for the virgin taste buds.

Meatloaf...this ain't your mamas...you'll love it

This is not what you are thinking, a loaf pan with a smashed amount of ground beef with some token flavourings of onion and spice. Sorry for the comments to those of you who love this 70's phenomenon. This one is a different twist that will delight and can be served to company.

This Ain't your Mama's Meatloaf

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
1/4 c. pepitas
1/4 c. currants
1 egg
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 c. parmesan
1/4 c. minced red onion
2T. chopped parsley
S&P

Mix together. Roll between two sheets parchment (when I have tried wax paper it sticks) to form 8 X 12 rectangle.

Layer deli honey ham slices over top, top with spinach and provolone cheese slices. Roll wide edge to form 12" long log. Tidy up ends and place seem side down in olive oiled shallow roasting pan. Use oo sprayer to coat outside of loaf or hands to smear.
Roast for 25-30 min. Use a meat thermometre to test doneness. Rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Three Bears Porridge with Two Pawfuls of Raisins

Warm you up on a cold mornin....it will. One of my kids favourite breakfasts and it's simple not to mention cheap as they come. Sometimes it is easy to forget about the simpler things in life and how much we enjoy the old time favourites.

Three Bears Porridge with Two Pawfuls of Raisins (it just sounds better than oatmeal??)

2 c. oatmeal (quick cooking will take less time but either work)
4 1/2 c. water
2 pawfuls of raisins
pinch of salt
Cook till porridge consistency develops,
Add: 2 T. raw sugar, 1/8 tsp. cinnamon and pinch of cloves

Stir and spoon into bowls, barely cover with milk and serve.

Lots of time for this before school in the morning:)

Easter Feast...Spiral Ham

We had our Easter feast last night, Good Friday. My mom was visiting and leaving Saturday. Friday was a beautiful day for a hike into Tod Inlet with the kids. There is an incredible number of flowers in bloom from triliums to daffodils to hyacinth from the gardens that once existed down there. Not wanting to be a slave to the kitchen for a day I picked up a Spiral Cut Ham at Costco - removes alot of the work precut and less waste. We had asiago whole wheat biscuits, mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, and salad...ohhh and dessert, lemon curd strawberry trifle. Dessert was planned based on the fact that I had half an angel food cake from the night before to use up and who could walk past those fragrant strawberries in the grocery stores right now- turned out to be a keeper when a silence over took the table as it was served.



Whole Wheat Biscuits with Asiago Cheese (16 biscuits)
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. white flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 T. sugar
3/4 t. salt
1 1/2 c. finely grated asiago cheese
Mix together and add:
1/3 c. evoo
3/4 c. milk
Roll to 1/2" thick, cut and bake at 425 for 15 minutes

Spiral Ham
30 minutes prior to finish roasting stud with whole cloves and glaze with mixture of 1/3 c. molasses and 1/4 c. grainy mustard - turn oven to 400 and complete roasting - do not drain pan juices

Roasted Asparagus
Coat with olive oil and sea salt and fresh ground pepper - roast at 400 for about 10-15 minutes on stoneware baking pan. Remove and rest 5 minutes before serving.

Strawberry Lemon Trifle (serves 6-8)

2-3 hours before serving mix:
3 c. fresh cut strawberries
1-1/2 T. contreau
3 T. sugar

Prepare lemon curd - tip: my lemon curd did not set so I added (1 pkt of knorr gelatin disolved in 1T hot then 1T. cold water) whisked into my curd about 1 hour prior to serving - thankfully set it up nicely - I didn't include the recipe since it did not set well this time??

1/2 angel food cake (cut into cubes)
Prepared whip cream

To serve line individual serving dishes (glass are best so you can see the layers) with cake chunks, scoop marinated strawberries over with some juice, add lemon curd, more cake, more strawberries, whip cream and fresh strawberries to garnish, along with a strip of lemon zest to fancy it up.

Happy Easter!

Whole Wheat Crust Pizza...dust off that bread machine...

One of my favourite kitchen tools is my bread machine. I wore out my Black and Decker a fews years back and bought the Cuisinart, haven't tried the jam option yet and the Artisan cycle on my one try was not in my opinion worth the time - maybe next time. Really I should call it my dough machine as that is the job it usually performs for me. Tonight is Whole Wheat Crust Pizza, you can set the machine with a delay at anytime in the day, but most machines will need about 1-1/2 hours to complete the dough cycle.



Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (bread machine - 2 lb. dough setting)

• 1-1/3c. water
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. evoo
• 2 c. whole wheat flour
• 2 c. white flour (cnd.) bread flour (usa)
• 2 1/2 tsp. yeast

When dough completes cycle. roll onto 2 lg. pizza pans (preferably stone) and poke a large number of vent holes with a fork. Spray with evoo sprayer and spread sauce, a little cheese to hold your toppings in place, add toppings more cheese and a little more sauce. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes.

Pizza Sauce

• 1- 15oz can of stewed tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. oregano dried
• 1 tsp. basil dried
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. sugar
• s & p

Bring to simmer over med heat for 7-10 minutes. Use immersible blender to bring to spreading consistency desired ( I like a few chunks in mine).

Pizza without the guilt:) For added fun let the kids make their own pizzas - we do this often and the kids have a great time making heart shape or monster pizzas.

Tortellini with Pesto Cream Sauce and Chicken

Another crazy Wednesday night, tired and hungry. This is one of my go to menus when time is tight - on the table in about 20 minutes.

Tortellini with Pesto Cream Sauce
First start a stock pot with water for pasta. Meanwhile in a sauce pan start white sauce, 2 Tbsp. butter and 2Tbsp. flour, s & p, cook for about 1 minute past melting butter, then add 1-1/2 c. milk stirring in slowly to combine. Cook to thicken. When water is up to a boil, salt and add 750 g fresh tortellini. Cook to package directions.
Chicken
Turn on the indoor grill to high heat. Pound 2 full or 4 halves chicken breast to 1/4" in wax paper. Coat in olive oil, s & p, sprinkle of basil and rubbed rosemary. Grill chicken about 3 min each side. Slice into 1/2" strips.
Pesto
If you are making pesto (jar is good too) in food processor add 1 cup fresh basil, 2 Tbsp pine nuts (toasted), 1/4 c. parmesan, clove of garlic, s&p and blend, then add stream of evoo to desired consistency. If you are using a jar about 1/2 cup prepared.

When tortellini is done, drain and stir in pesto first then add white sauce and combine.
To serve: plate tortellini, lay chicken breast cut in strips, baby tomatoes and fresh parm on top. Great with a side of Caesar salad.

Although a night may start off in a frenzy, a fresh prepared dinner refreshes everyone and gives us time together to reflect on our day while we sit together at the table.

German pancake...breakfast for dinner - why not??

Breakfast for dinner, always a hit! Try this "German Pancake" with homemade syrup, sausages and fresh cut fruit. Turkey sausages are available everywhere now, they taste great and offer a tasty alternative to bacon or pork sausage.

German Pancake:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prep a 10 x 15 deep baking dish with 2 tbsp. melted butter (use a brush to get it up the sides of the pan. In your blender: 10 eggs, 1-1/2 c. flour, 1-1/2 c. milk, 3/4 tsp. salt. Blend thoroughly and pour into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
Syrup:
In a small saucepan mix (1/3 c + 1Tbsp) sugar, (3Tbsp + 1 tsp) buttermilk, 2 Tbsp butter (no marg), 1-1/2 tsp cornsyrup, and 1/4 tsp baking soda. Heat till boils and changes to carmel colour. Remove from heat and add 1/2 tsp vanilla. (A little goes a long way...) Serve as syrup on individual servings of pancake. Leftovers are great on vanilla icecream.

Meanwhile, get those sausages fried up and cut up some fresh fruit or make a quick fruit salad.