Pizza Buns

Posted in MEALS, Nibbles and Appetizers by Katherine

Pizza Buns

Ingredients

For the pizza bun dough:
2 1/2 – 3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast
1 cup of quite warm water (120-130° F.)
1 Tbsp. vegetable, canola or any other neutral tasting oil

For the toppings:
350 ml. (12 oz. or 1 1/2 cups) of your favourite pizza sauce
3 cups shredded cheese

Instructions

1.For the dough: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the kneading hook, mix together 2 1/2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt and instant yeast. In a measuring cup, combine the warm water with the oil. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Knead by hand or with the mixer until the dough comes together in a ball and is smooth. It shouldn’t stick to your hands or be dry and crumbly (**add more flour in 1/8 cup increments or more water in Tablespoons, as necessary to achieve this). Grease a bowl and place the dough ball into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 30 – 45 minutes, depending on how warm your kitchen is.

2.Get two baking sheets ready

3.Remove the dough to a floured cutting board. Cut the dough evenly in half. Cut each half in half again. Cut each piece in half again, to make multiple pieces.

4.Rolling: Dust a rolling pin and your rolling surface lightly with flour. Take a piece of dough and roll into a shape about 1/4-inch thick. Place the dough shape onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with each dough ball, placing each on the prepared sheets (you can place them fairly close together as they don’t spread much).

5.Topping: With all your rolled dough on the baking sheets, using a teaspoon from your cutlery drawer (not the measuring kind) top each piece with a heaping teaspoon of pizza sauce (about as much as it will hold) and spread it over the top, going as far to the edges as you can without it going over the sides.

6.Top with a generous amount of cheese. Repeat with all the buns.

6.Baking: Preheat oven to 375° F. Place baking sheets in the centre of the oven. Bake for 18-20 minutes (for thin buns – longer if you made fewer, thicker buns). then remove buns to a cooling rack.

3May2017

Creamy Healthy Pasta Salad

Posted in MEALS, Salads by Katherine

Creamy Healthy Pasta Salad

Ingredients

12 ounces cooked pasta
1 cup frozen peas thawed
1 cup sweet corn kernals
1 cup chopped kale
1 cup of steamed broccoli, let cool
1 diced grilled chicken breast

For the Dressing:
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
a ripe avocado
juice of a lime (about 2 teaspoons)
kosher salt to taste

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to package instructions for al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain the cold water. Pour the pasta in a large bowl.
Toss the pasta with the peas, corn, kale, broccoli and diced grilled chicken.
In a smaller dish mix together the Greek yogurt and avocado. You will have to smash up the avocado, so I usually use a fork to smash/stir. When the mixture is creamy and smooth, squeeze in the lime juice. Stir.
Pour the dressing over the pasta and veggies in the bowl. Stir to coat.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

12Feb2017

Nana’s Fadgies

Posted in MEALS, Nibbles and Appetizers by Katherine

Nana’s Fadgies

For my Nana-she always had warm fadgies waiting for us after school

Wet Ingredients:
1 c hotish tap water (not boiling)
1 tsp white sugar
1 tbsp yeast

½ c scalded milk (not boiling hot)
¼ c white sugar
¼ c melted lard or vegetable oil

Dry ingredients:
4¼ c white flour
1 Tsp Salt.

Wet ingredients: Using a 2 cup measure, add sugar to hotish water and stir and then add the yeast but do not stir until risen ( about 15 to 20 minutes) and then thoroughly stir until dissolved. Then add milk, extra sugar and melted lard (or oil) and stir. I scald milk and melt lard in microwave at the same time.

Dry ingredients: Put the flour and salt into then Cuisinart, add the Wet Ingredients a little at a time, cover and lock and turn machine on (knead) and when the dough is soft and very elastic, but not sticky. If it is sticky add more flour ¼ cup at a time and knead some more. Form into a ball of dough.

Lightly grease a bowl, place ball of dough in the bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise, the dough needs to at least double in size, this should take 40 to 50 minutes.

Remove the dough from the bowl and on a floured surface roll the dough out as pastry to 1 inch depth and cut into squares/triangles or take small amounts and make into balls. Place onto ungreased (or very, very little greased) baking trays and again cover with clean tea towels, place in a warm area and leave to rise for 30 to 40 minutes, the bread should again double in size.

Preheat oven bake 425 degrees and bake for approx 10 to 14 minutes and then place on a wire tray to cool.

For pizza crust:
1.5c luke warm water
1 tsp white sugar
1 tbsp yeast

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22Jan2017

Turkey Kolbassa and Cabbage Casserole

Posted in Date Night, MEALS by Katherine

I know turkey and cabbage but really it was good!

Ingredients:

450 grams spagetti
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups milk
3/4 cup shredded marble cheese
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 (16 ounce) turkey kolbassa sausage,cubed
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup shredded swiss cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spagetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour, dry mustard, and black pepper; cook until smooth, about 2 minutes. Whisk in milk, a little at a time, and bring white sauce to a boil. Cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly, to make a smooth, thick sauce. Whisk 3/4 cup marble cheese into sauce until melted.
4. Stir spagetti, cabbage, and kolbassa sausage into the sauce and transfer to a 3-quart casserole dish. Mix bread crumbs with 1/4 cup swiss cheese in a bowl and sprinkle over the casserole.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until casserole is heated through, about 20 minutes.

18Jan2017

Quinoa with Chopped Prunes, Apples and Plums

Posted in Breakfast, MEALS by Katherine

To help the weight loss, we did the Dr. Oz’s 48-Hour Weekend Cleanse http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/48-hour-weekend-cleanse. This is the breakfast. It tastes OK. I felt great during and after the cleanse and was 2lbs lighter in 48 hours. Actually, I still make this for breakfast, in advance and reheat in the morning. Hope you enjoy this high fibre and protein breakfast.

Ingredients
Makes 1 serving

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup water
1 pinch nutmeg
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp flax seed oil
1/3 cup chopped prunes
1/4 cup rice milk

Directions

In a small pot, stir 1/2 cup quinoa, a pinch of nutmeg and 1 tsp of grated ginger into a cup of water.
Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in the prunes and rice milk. Cover again and cook another 5 minutes.
Before serving, stir in 1 tbsp of flaxseed oil.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/48-hour-weekend-cleanse

15Dec2016

Eggnog Pancakes

Posted in Breakfast, MEALS by Katherine

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup eggnog
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
Nutmeg and powdered sugar

Directions

1.Heat a lightly oiled skillet or griddle over medium heat.

2. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the eggnog, butter, and egg. Mix until dry ingredients are evenly moist.

3.Pour 1/4 cup batter onto the hot griddle for each pancake. Cook pancakes until bubbly on top. Flip with a spatula, and continue cooking until lightly browned on bottom.

4. Sprinkle with nutmeg and powdered sugar

5Dec2016

Cranberry Chicken

Posted in Date Night, MEALS by Katherine

Cranberry Chicken

Ingredients:

5 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 (16 ounce) can whole cranberry sauce
2 (1 ounce) packages dry onion soup mix
1 cup French dressing

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place chicken in 9×13 inch baking dish. Mix cranberry sauce, soup mix and salad dressing and pour mixture over chicken. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour.