Thursday, April 30, 2009

Cranberry Relish or Salad

I love fresh made cranberry relish. This one is perfect a little bit sweet and a little bit tart and a little bit crunchy.

Ingredients:
2 12 oz bags fresh cranberries
2 medium apples
2 medium pears
2 navel oranges
1 8 oz can crushed pineapple in juice
1 cup sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:
Cut the cores out of the pears and apples.
Cut the pears, apples and oranges into pieces that will fit into your food processor.
In a food processor chop the cranberries, apples, pears, and oranges skins and all.
Add the pineapple and sugar.
Mix well.
Chill at least overnight (longer is OK).
Add the chopped pecans just before serving.

Note: The next time I make this I am going to substitute honey for the sugar since I am trying to reduce the amount of refined sugar in my diet.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Carne Guisada

Yummy Mexican Beef!! Delicious with rice. Super easy since it simmers all day in the crock pot!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 lb beef stew meat, cubed
3 oz tomato paste
10 fluid oz beef broth
4 fluid oz water
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tps chili powder (or more)
1/2 tsp ground cumin (or more)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
salt (to taste)
2 Serrano chili peppers, seeded or not if you like it extra spicy and chopped
2 tsp cornstarch

Directions:
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat, and cook beef until it is evenly browned.
Pour off excess fat and then add the browned meat to the crock pot.
Stir in tomato paste, beef broth and water.
Season with onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, salt and Serrano peppers.
Cook on low in the crock pot for 8 to 12 hours - the longer you allow it to cook, the more tender the beef will be.
Dissolve cornstarch in a small amount of water, and stir into simmering stew until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Black Bean Salsa

I call this a salsa but it is more like a salad crossed with a salsa and a relish. Really it should just be called black bean deliciousness!! Feel free to leave out some of the ingredients if you don't like them... It is great as is or with a few things left out or a few more things added in - A good starting place kind of recipe!

Ingredients:
2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 red onion, finely diced
3 roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
1 fresh red or orange bell pepper, finely diced
1 fresh mango, diced
2 fresh avocados, diced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
4 tbs lime juice
2 tbs olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix together everything in a bowl.
Serve chilled.
Delicious on grilled chicken or used as a dip or on grilled fish or on top of a bed of salad greens or just eaten alone!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Chocolate Mousse - Dairy Free

This is really delicious but very rich tasting. Either you will love it or you will hate it type of thing!

Ingredients:
1 16 oz package Silken Tofu
1.33 cups dairy free or vegan Chocolate Chips, Semi-Sweet
3 oz espresso
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbs honey

Directions:
Over a double boiler or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips and espresso together.
When melted stir in the vanilla extract.
Combine the tofu, melted chocolate mixture, and honey in the blender or food processor.
Blend until perfectly smooth.
Pour the mousse equally into 4 individual dessert cups.
Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until set.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Chicken in Red Curry Sauce

This is a great introduction to curry and is not your typical get at a restaurant curry at least in my experience. Even if you haven't liked curry in the past you might love this one because neither my husband or I liked curry before this recipe!!
It is great served over my Coconut Rice Recipe from yesterday!

Ingredients:
2 tbs olive oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 tbs garlic, chopped
1 tsp ginger, chopped
2 tbs red curry paste
2 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 tbs lime juice
3 tbs cilantro, chopped
1/2 tbs fish sauce
1 tsp packed brown sugar

Directions:
In a large saute pan cook the onions, garlic and ginger in the olive oil until the onions are tender.
Meanwhile cut the chicken breast into bite sized pieces.
Add the chicken breast to the pan and saute until cooked through.
Add the red curry paste and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and coconut milk and boil for 3 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Coconut Rice

This rice is a great accompaniment to curry and Asian type dishes.

Ingredients:
2 cups basmati or jasmine rice
2 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
a pinch of saffron (about 10 to 12 threads)
2 cups chicken broth or water
1 1/2 cup coconut milk

Directions:
In a pot with a tight fitting lid cook the rice, olive oil, salt and saffron over high heat for a few minutes until the rice just begins to toast.
Carefully add the coconut milk and the water to the pot.
Stir well being sure to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low.
Cook for 13 minutes then turn off the heat.
Allow the rice to sit for at least 5 more minutes then fluff and serve.

Note for even more coconut flavor add some shredded coconut during the first step.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Breaking Out the Grill

Here are a few awesome side dishes that we love on the grill!
Goes great on the grill with my Char Siu Chicken recipe from back in January too!

Super Simple Super Sweet Grilled Corn
You don't really taste the dill in this instead it just brings out the natural sweetness of the corn!

Ingredients:
4 ears of corn, cleaned
4 tsp dairy free buttery spread
1 tsp dill, dried
seasoning salt & pepper
4 large pieces of foil

Directions:
Lay out the foil.
Add one ear of corn to the middle of each piece of foil.
Top each ear of corn with 1 tsp of dairy free buttery spread.
Sprinkle dried dill, seasoning salt and pepper on top of each.
Wrap up each ear of corn in the foil getting a tight seal so that the goodness doesn't leak out!
Grill turning about every 5 minutes for about 20 minutes.


Melt in Your Mouth Grilled Cabbage
Feel free to leave out any of the extras you don't like or to add in anything else that you think you might like instead. This is a great dish to let everyone make their own how they like it - Think baked potato bar but instead you do it before it is cooked.

Ingredients:
1 small head of cabbage, cut into quarters
1 small onion, cut into slices
12 medium button mushrooms, quartered
16 grape tomatoes
4 slices of turkey bacon, cut into quarters
4 tsp dairy free buttery spread
2 tsp chopped garlic
seasoning salt & pepper
4 large pieces of foil

Directions:
Lay out the foil.
Add one quarter of the cabbage to the middle of each piece of foil.
Top each piece of cabbage with some slices of onion, 3 button mushrooms, 4 grape tomatoes, 1 piece of turkey bacon, 1 tsp of dairy free buttery spread, 1/2 tsp chopped garlic, and seasoning salt & pepper.
Wrap up each packet in the foil getting a tight seal so that the goodness doesn't leak out!
Grill turning about every 5 minutes for about 30 minutes.

Super Simple Yellow Split Pea Soup

This soup is very easy to throw together and is very soul satisfying. It can also be made using Green Split Peas instead of the Yellow Split Peas but I think that they Yellow are better!

Ingredients:
2 cups yellow split peas, dried
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbs garlic, chopped
2 tbs parsley, dried
1/2 tsp thyme, dried (optional)
seasoning salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a pot.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to simmer and cover.
Cook about 2 hours or until tender. Be sure to stir every 30 minutes or so and to check the amount of liquid in the pot. Do not let it go dry!
Using an immersion blender puree the soup until smooth adding water or chicken broth if necessary to get the consistency you desire.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Healther & Dairy Free Jalapeno Poppers

These jalapeno poppers are so good you wont even realize that they are so much better for you than that deep fried concoction!

Ingredients:
25 fresh jalapeno peppers
1 12 oz package of turkey bacon
1 8 oz tub of dairy free cream cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Put on some disposable gloves then slice each jalapeno pepper lengthwise in half.
Cut off the stem end of the pepper.
Scrape out all the seeds and the ribs of the pepper.
Fill the cavity of each pepper half with dairy free cream cheese.
Cut the strips of turkey bacon into halves.
Wrap one half piece of turkey bacon around each pepper half.
Try to finish wrapping the turkey bacon so that the seam is on the bottom.
Place each wrapped jalapeno pepper half onto a cookie sheet.
If you pepper halves do not stay wrapped up then secure with a toothpick.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes then check to see if the peppers are beginning to get tender. If the peppers are not starting to get tender then continue cooking at 375 degrees checking every 5 minutes until the peppers do start to get tender. If the peppers are starting to get tender then turn the oven to 425 degrees and cook for about 10 minutes longer or until the bacon starts to get crisp.
Best served warm or at room temperature.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Chicken with Paprika Sauce

I like that this is so fast to put together yet has a very different from the ordinary taste. This chicken dish is delicious served over mashed potatoes or egg noodles. I like it with a dollop of dairy free sour cream on top too.
Find the best quality sweet Hungarian paprika in order to get the best flavor!

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cups of chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbs paprika (sweet Hungarian)
2 tbs corn starch
1/2 cup water
2 cups frozen green peas, thawed

Directions:
In a large skillet saute the chicken breasts, onions, garlic, and mushrooms in the olive oil with the seasoning salt and black pepper.
Cook until the chicken is done and the onions are tender.
Add the paprika, peas and the chicken broth.
Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 5 minutes.
Combine the water and corn starch, making sure that there are no lumps.
Add the corn starch mixture to the simmering chicken.
Stir constantly until the mixture is as thick as you desire - about 5 minutes.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Tastes Like Sloppy Joes Meat Sauce

This tastes sort of like sloppy joes but is a sauce which is delicious served over rice or pasta.
It started out as a throw together one night but has turned into a family favorite.
The recipe is for a lot but it freezes well so don't be afraid to try it.

Ingredients:
2.5 lbs extra lean ground beef
1 16 oz package frozen sliced mixed bell peppers and onion
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbs chopped garlic
1 6 oz can tomato paste
2 8 oz cans tomato sauce
1 7 3/4 oz can el pato mexican tomato sauce
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
3 tbs worcestershire sauce
1 tbs black pepper
2 tbs seasoning salt
1/2 tbs garlic powder
1/2 tbs onion powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbs dried cilantro
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp tabasco sauce

Directions:
In a large pot over medium high heat saute the onions and peppers until they begin to get tender.
Add the ground beef, chopped garlic, 1/2 of the seasoning salt, and 1/2 of the black pepper.
Continue to cook until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are very tender. While cooking be sure to break the ground meat up as small as possible. You aren't looking for a chunky type of meat sauce here but one where everything just kind of melts together.
Reduce the heat to simmer and add all of the rest of the ingredients.
Simmer about 20 to 30 minutes minimum but longer is good too if you have the time as the sauce just becomes thicker and thicker.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Red Lentil & Barley Soup

This soup is really filling and satisfying.

Ingredients:
2 cups dried red lentils
1 cup pearled barley
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
1 small onion, diced
15 baby carrots, sliced
12 medium mushrooms, sliced
1 large stalk of celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbs parsley, dried
1 tsp thyme, fresh
2 tsp seasoning salt
1 tsp black pepper

Directions:
Place all the ingredients in a large soup pot.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the lentils, barley and veggies are tender about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Add more water or chicken stock if you would like it to be more soup like in consistency, or cook it longer or with the lid slightly off if you would like it thicker in consistency.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Dipping Sauce Bonanza!!

Special Fry Sauce
This is delicious for dipping those oven fries I told you about earlier into. So good!!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp to 1 tbs Tabasco sauce (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp seasoning salt

Directions:
Mix together all ingredients.
Serve.
Stores in the refrigerator for up to one week if it lasts that long!


Honey Mustard Sauce
This is creamy, sweet and spicy all at the same time. Delicious on sandwiches or as a dipping sauce.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tbs stone ground mustard
1 tbs horseradish

Directions:
Mix together all ingredients.
Serve.
Stores in the refrigerator for up to one week if it lasts that long!


'Tator Sauce
This is delicious on top of a baked potato or used as a dipping sauce for fries or tator tots.

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup dairy free sour cream
1 medium sweet onion, chopped very fine
1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 tsp seasoning salt

Directions:
Mix together all ingredients.
Serve.
Stores in the refrigerator for up to one week if it lasts that long!

Creamy Dill Dip
This is so yummy to dip fresh vegetables in and also is good for dipping french fries and tator tots too.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup dairy free sour cream
4 tbs fresh dill, chopped or 2 tbs dried dill
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 tsp seasoning salt

Directions:
Mix together all ingredients.
Serve.
Stores in the refrigerator for up to one week if it lasts that long!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Multi-Grain Crock Pot Breakfast

This recipe is great because you just throw it all together the night before and it is ready and waiting for you in the morning!

Ingredients:
2-1/2 tbsp bulgur wheat
2-1/2 tbsp brown rice
2 tbsp barley
2 tbsp quinoa
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup apples, diced
1/2 cup raisins
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
3 cups water
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Combine ingredients in a crock pot.
Mix well.
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Stir before serving.
Add more water if needed.
Note: If you like it sweet then add a little maple syrup when serving!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Dairy Free Soft Sugar Cookies with Tofu

Yes, you read that correctly... There is tofu in these cookies. You can't taste it but it sure helps with the texture and softness of the cookies!! These remind us of that famous brand of sugar cookies that you can buy at the stores.

Ingredients:
6 tbs extra firm tofu
1 cup dairy free buttery spread
1 tbs vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
frosting of your choice

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the dairy free spread and sugar for 5 minutes or until fluffy.
Mash the tofu - Make sure that there are no chunks.
Add the mashed tofu and vanilla to the creamed mixture and mix well.
Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into the mixture and mix well.
Roll into 40 balls.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten each ball with your hand. Be sure to flatten to the thickness you desire as the dough will not rise much.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Allow to cool completely before frosting.
There are commercial brands of frosting available that are dairy free if you want a super sweet frosting with that kind of texture. Use this type of frosting if you are going for the big brand feel and be sure to top with appropriate sprinkles too.
Or you can make dairy free royal icing if you want that slight crunch of the frosting to contrast the soft sugar cookie.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Peas & Rice - Jamaican Style

This recipe takes you straight to Jamaica. This is a great base to serve curry over or just about anything with a flavorful sauce!

Ingredients:
2 cups dried small red beans
3 cloves garlic, minced (more if you want a little more flavor)
5 1/2 cups water
salt, to taste
2 2/3 cups coconut milk
pepper, to taste
1 medium onion, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme (about 1 tsp) (more if you want a little more flavor)
2 fresh habanero or scotch bonnet peppers (more if you like it spicier)
2 2/3 cup jasmine rice, uncooked

Directions:
In a saucepan combine - dried beans, water, garlic and salt.
Bring to a boil.
Cook, covered over medium heat for about 2 hours - until beans are tender.
Add the coconut milk, pepper, onion, thyme and whole fresh peppers.
Bring to a boil.
Cook, covered at a simmer for about 25 minutes - until rice is done and liquid has been absorbed.

Note - If you follow the recipe exactly this dish is on the light side seasoning wise, as it is traditionally used as the side dish to very flavorful curry type dishes. If you want to bump up the flavor I recommend adding double the garlic and thyme and increasing the number of hot peppers too.

Note - If you really want to make it spicier then cut the habanero peppers into quarters and place into a cheese cloth packet to infuse even more heat into the dish.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Sweet Potato Fries

These are so delicious and easy to make too!
They work best in a convection oven but if you don't have that option they still taste great even if not quite so crunchy!



Ingredients:
3 to 5 lbs of sweet potatoes
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tbs chili powder
1/2 tbs garlic powder
1/2 tbs onion powder
1/2 tbs sea salt
1/2 tbs black pepper

Directions:
Cut the sweet potatoes into french fry or steak fry shaped pieces. Try to keep all the pieces about the same size.
In a large bowl place the cut sweet potatoes and the rest of the ingredients. Toss well to get even coverage of all the spices.
Spread the fries out onto baking sheets in a single even layer using 1 or 2 sheets as needed.
If you are using a convection oven preheat to 425 degrees and bake using convection for 20 to 30 minutes or until crispy, lightly browned and tender.
If you are using a regular oven then preheat to 375 degrees and bake about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until tender and lightly browned.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Black Olive Spread or Dip

This recipe is very good as either a spread on warm toasted bread bites or a dip for chips or fresh veggies.

Ingredients:
1 - 6 oz drained weight can black olives
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper blend
1 tsp dried marjoram or oregano 0r 1 tsp fresh thyme
2 tbs olive oil

Directions:
Drain the black olives then crush them using a potato masher.
Add the olive oil, herb, garlic powder, and pepper.
Mix well.
Serve immediately but best when chilled a few hours to allow the flavors to develop.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

A Duo of Refreshing Mint Drinks

Refreshing Mint Apple Tea
This first drink has a lovely refreshing flavor. I love that it is naturally sweetened with the apple juice.

Ingredients:
4 mint flavor herbal tea bags
4 cups boiling water
4 cups 100% juice apple juice
8 fresh mint leaves (optional)

Directions:
Steep the tea in the boiling water for at least 15 minutes to get the full flavor out of it.
Add together the apple juice and the tea in a pitcher.
Slice the mint leaves into thin strips and add to the mixture if desired.
Allow to chill well before serving or if you can't wait serve over ice!

Refreshing Pomegranate Spritzer
This second drink is also so refreshing and it is good for you too with all the antioxidant powers of the pomegranate juice!

Ingredients:
16 oz pomegranate juice
32 oz ginger ale
juice of 2 to 3 fresh limes (depending on the zing you want it to have)
12 mint leaves, sliced into ribbons

Directions:
Chill all the ingredients separately.
When ready to serve mix all together in a pitcher.
This is best served right away so that the ginger ale doesn't lose its fizz but it is still delicious tasting the next day if you have leftovers too.
Also, if you would like to make this drink naughty then switch out the ginger ale for a spumanti or sweet type of champagne or sparkling wine!!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Easy Peachy Freezer Jam

This is a super simple freezer jam. You can also do this with other types of fruit and flavors of jello. Really the possibilities and combinations are endless!

Ingredients:
  • 6 cups mashed peaches
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 2 (3 ounce) packages peach jello
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
Directions:
Mix fruit and sugar in large pan.
Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes.
Add Jello and stir until dissolved.
Freeze in freezer containers.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Cocount Flour Chocolate Chip Pan Cookies

This recipe is both dairy free and wheat/gluten free.

It was a first attempt at baking with coconut flour for me. I think that the recipe needs some tweaking still. The original recipe called this brownies but I don't think that this is anything like brownies in texture or flavor. To me recipe is more like a pan cookie especially with the addition of the chocolate chips instead of the originally called for nuts.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup dairy free buttery stick
1/2 cup cocoa powder
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sifted coconut flour
1 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan.
Melt the dairy free buttery sticks and mix in the cocoa powder.
In a separate bowl beat together the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla.
Add the cocoa mixture to the egg mixture and mix well.
Add the sifted coconut flour and mix well leaving no lumps in the batter.
Stir in the dairy free chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I think that some strong brewed coffee might be a good addition to this recipe as to me it is very dry in texture. Also this recipe is not very sweet like one expects a brownie or cookie to be so maybe adding some brown sugar for sweetness and depth of flavor would be a good idea. I think that those are the first things that I will play with in trying to improve this recipe.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Sauted Bok Choy with Mushrooms.

This is an easy and tasty side dish that goes well with many things.

Ingredients:
2 lbs bok choy
8 oz mushrooms (crimini or button)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs soy sauce
3 tbs dry white wine or chicken stock
2 tbs olive oil or dairy free buttery spread
1 tsp hot chili garlic sauce (optional - adds a little heat)
salt & pepper

Directions:
Slice the bok choy into 1/2 inch strips.
Heat a nonstick skillet with the olive oil or dairy free buttery spread over medium heat.
Add everything else except the white wine or chicken stock to the pan.
Saute for about 2 minutes.
Add the wine and continue cooking until the bok choy just starts to get tender. About 5 minutes more.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Dairy Free Creamy Hummus

This hummus is so good!! It does not have tahini in it either which can be hard to find. Delicious with baby carrots and other fresh vegetables or with pita chips.

Ingredients:
1 - 15 oz can garbanzo beans (drained)
1 garlic clove, finely minced
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs dairy free sour cream
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cumin
salt & pepper

Directions:
Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans.
Place into a bowl add the garlic and mash well with a fork yet still retaining some texture.
If you like it very smooth then use a food processor instead of mashing by hand.
Mix in the sour cream, olive oil, and lemon juice.
Add cumin, salt & pepper to taste.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Deviled Eggs with a Kick

These aren't your ordinary deviled eggs. They have a kick to them and a surprise ingredient too!

Ingredients:
1 dozen hard boiled eggs
4 tbs mayonnaise
2 tsp brown mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce (or more if you like it spicier)
4 tbs crumbled bacon
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Peel the eggs and cut in half.
Place all of the yokes into a bowl and mash with a fork.
Add the mayonnaise, brown mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco sauce; mix until the mixture is smooth.
Add the bacon; mix lightly until just combined.
Taste the filling and adjust the salt and pepper.
Fill the egg halves with the filling.
Sprinkle with paprika as garnish.

Friday, April 3, 2009

The Best Ham You Ever Laid Your Lips On

This ham is so good that you will never want to eat a ham cooked any other way. Perfection at least to my family!

Ingredients:
1 hunk of ham (can be a 1/2 a ham on the bone or a piece of boneless ham but not a spiral sliced ham)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1 - 2 liter bottle Sprite
1 large can of pineapple juice

Directions:
Place the ham in a pot large enough to hold it without it sticking up out of the liquid you are going to add. (If you are using a boneless ham please pierce it with a fork several times to allow the flavor to get inside the meat.).
To the pot add the Sprite, pineapple juice, mustard and brown sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
Bring to the boil and reduce heat to a simmer.
Cook at least 2 hours - longer is better.
Tip - You can do this ahead then slice and layer with pineapple rings if desired into a crock pot and cover with reserved cooking liquid and keep warm or even do the day ahead and reheat.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Dairy Free Brownies

This is a very basic recipe for brownies found in The Dairy-Free Kitchen by Beth Kidder.

Ingredients:
3 - 1 oz squares of unsweetened chocolate (dairy free)
1/2 cup dairy free buttery spread
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup nuts (optional)
0r
1 cup dairy free chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a 9 x 9 baking pan by lightly greasing it.
Melt the unsweetened chocolate. (I like to use the microwave oven using 30 second intervals)
Combine the dairy free buttery spread, melted chocolate, sugar and vanilla.
Add the eggs one at at time.
Continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Stir the flour mixture into the batter just until incorporated. Do not over mix.
Stir in the optional ingredients if desired.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake about 35 minutes or until cooked through yet still moist and soft.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Green Chili - Basic

This recipe for Green Chili is very basic and takes to modifying for your personal preferences like additions such as tomatoes or white beans.

It makes a lot though so be ready to freeze most of it and maybe even give some away!

Ingredients:
  • 5 lbs pork loin, cubed
  • 4 medium onions, diced
  • 2 gallons water
  • 1 cup dried cilantro or fresh cilantro is better
  • 3 tablespoons beef base
  • 3 tablespoons garlic salt
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon coriander , ground
  • 1 tablespoon cumin, ground
  • 3 (24 ounce) cans diced green chilies (If you like it hot then substitute some of the green chilies for diced jalapeno peppers)
  • 8 medium potatoes, small cube
  • 1 quart water
  • 12 ounces cornstarch
Directions:
In a large pot combine pork, onions, water, beef base, cilantro, garlic salt, black pepper, coriander and cumin.
Bring to a boil then simmer until the meat is tender.
Add the potatoes and the green chilies.
Bring back to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender.
In a bowl combine the quart of water with the corn starch.
Add to the pot and stir well.
Continue simmering until desired thickness.
Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Usually I will add a little more cilantro.