Quick and Easy Parmesan Chicken Casserole

Here is a recipe that is super quick and easy to prepare.  It takes just a few minutes to put it all together, then cooks relatively unattended for an hour and 20 minutes, serve and eat :-)  Couldn't be easier!

Ingredients:

5 skinless, boneless chicken breast - rinsed and each cut into 3 pieces
1 tin Family Sized Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup (23 oz.)
1 equivalent tin water
2 cups veggie mix (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
1 cup brown rice
1 cup white rice
about 2 tbsp. bacon bits
about 2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese



1.  Place cut pieces of chicken breast into large heatproof oven dish.

2.  Pour contents of Campbell’s soup tin over the chicken, add the same amount of water (use the tin to measure) and stir thoroughly.

3.  Evenly distribute the vegetables throughout the dish.

4.  Sprinkle the rice evenly throughout the dish and submerge as much as possible.

5.  Sprinkle bacon bits and parmesan cheese over the top.  Cover with aluminium foil

6.  Place in hot oven (450F) for 20 minutes, then reduce to 350F for 40 minutes.

7.  Remove from oven and add 1 cup white rice.  Stir in thoroughly

8.  Return to oven uncovered and bake for a further 20 minutes

9.  Serve with a fresh garden salad and French Bread…. Enjoy!

Pineapple Cheesecake

This recipe is for a deliciously light pineapple cheesecake. Its flavor is best when it is made the day before you want to serve it and refrigerated overnight. It can be made and served within a few hours. It is delicious on its own but can also be served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Be adventurous! It works with other fruit and complementary jelly too. I have made strawberry cheesecake - that worked out really well - and would like to try mandarin cheesecake or possibly mango!

Ingredients:

1 3oz. (85g) package pineapple Jell-o (Jelly)
¾ cup (180ml) boiling water
1 20oz. (567g) crushed pineapple
1 cup (250ml) heavy whipping cream
12 oz. (340g) cream cheese
6 pieces Cadbury milk chocolate bar - grated



1. Dissolve pineapple jelly in ¾ cup boiling water. Allow to cool.

2. Beat heavy whipping cream to stiff peak stage.  Be careful, if you beat it too long it will become butter.

3. Add cream cheese in tsp. chunks to the cream and beat well.

4. Add crushed pineapple, including juice.

5. Beat well to blend thoroughly. It will be chunky still because of the pineapple.

6. Add cooled jelly (before it sets) and blend well.

7. Line a 9 x 13 inch dish with whole coconut cookies then gently pour the mixture over the cookies. Cover and refrigerate until set.

8. Sprinkle with grated chocolate prior to serving.

Roast Beef Dinner

This is a recipe anyone can make.  It is really easy and requires very little watching.  I decided to include this recipe on my blot for all those with young daughters starting out in the cooking world, or for the young ladies who follow my blog.  The level of cooking skill required to make this yummy meal is very low :-)  Multi-tasking is always a good skill to acquire and one that will be useful here!

Ingredients:

2 pound beef roast
5 medium potatoes - cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch chunks/wedges
1 butternut squash - sliced (watch the video for an easy way to cut this)
Salt
Pepper
Dried basil leaves
Garlic salt
Dried oregano leaves
2 tbsp. coconut oil
2 tbsp. brown meat gravy powder
1.5 cups rice - cooked according to package directions
Vegetables - steamed

1.  Preset oven to 350F.

2.  Place 2 heaped tbsp. coconut oil into large roasting pan and place inside oven to melt oil.

3.  Remove roasting pan from oven and place meat into the center of the pan.  Sprinkle with a little salt, pepper and dried basil leaves.  Wrap with aluminum foil. (Covering the meat in this way allows the meat to stay moist while the potatoes and butternut squash crisp up)

4.  Scatter potatoes and butternut squash around the meat.  Sprinkle with garlic salt and dried oregano leaves.

5.  Lift the pan so that it stands on one corner (to drain oil to that corner) and spoon oil over the potatoes.

5.  Return to oven for about an hour and a half.  Check for 'doneness.'  Potatoes are done when they are soft in the center but crispy outside.

6.  Cook rice according to package directions.  I like to use whole grain brown rice.

7.  Steam vegetables.  If you use the carrot, broccoli, cauliflower mix, start steaming the carrots first and when they become a little tender, add the other vegetables.

8.  Uncover the meat for the last 10 minutes of cooking - this allows it to brown nicely.

9.  Remove meat from pan along with any water that may have accumulated (Use the water to make gravy - I put it into a 2 cup glass measuring jug) Return potatoes and butternut to the oven until gravy is ready to serve.

10. Slice the meat thinly, cover and keep warm.

11.  Add veg steaming water to the water from the roasting pan up to the 1.5 cup mark (in the glass measuring jug)

12.  Add Brown meat gravy powder and microwave on high in 1 minute increments until thickened.

Serve and enjoy!

How To Cut Butternut Squash - The Easy Way

I have noticed that many people shy away from using butternut squash or other hard squash because they are difficult to cut.  Years ago my Mom taught me a very easy way to cut squash.  I figured it would be easier for me to show you rather than try to explain :-)  Watch this brief video and then give it a try.  Once it is cut into rings it is also very easy to peel.  Butternut squash is delicious roasted, boiled and then mashed (add a little butter and cinnamon), and is even good raw!

How to pick a good butternut squash.

When buying butternut squash you want to look for one that is fairly uniformly fat all the way from stem to base.  The seeds are in the bottom section of the squash so if you buy one with a thin neck and fat end, you would be mostly paying for the seeds (which most people throw away.)  Another thing to look at is, how much green, if any, is showing around the stem end...  For a drier, richer squash you would want one similar to the squash shown below.  It is fully ripe.  Note that there is no green in the grooves near the stem.  Thirdly, check to make sure there are no bad blemishes or 'injuries' to the squash.  Uninjured, butternut squash has a fairly long shelf life.

Some recipes on my blog that include butternut squash are:

Hearty Bean and Vegetable Soup

Roast Beef Dinner

Quick Meatballs with Noodles

This is one of those meals that can be made quickly and does not require much preparation.

I have a really large frying pan!

1 pound ground bison or beef
1 pound ground turkey
2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
A dash of paprika
A dash of chipotle chili pepper
Garlic salt to taste
1 medium onion - chopped small
1 10.75 oz. can tomato soup
1 15.5 oz. petite cut tomatoes
3 tbsp. brown gravy powder
1 tbsp. coconut oil for frying
Cheddar cheese for topping
Noodles cooked according to package directions

1.  Thoroughly mix ground bison/beef and turkey.
2.  Add Parmesan cheese and spices.
3.  Roll into 1.5 inch meatballs.
4,  Melt coconut oil in frying pan over medium heat.
5.  Add meatballs and fry over medium heat until they start to brown on one side.
6.  Gently turn over (I use 2 large tablespoons, placing one on either side of the meatball, and then flip them over.
7.  Cover with a lid and simmer for about 10 minutes.

8.  Sprinkle cut onion and petite cut tomatoes over and between the meatballs.
9.  In a 500 ml (2 cup) measuring jug combine the tomato soup, the equivalent amount of water (use the tin to measure), and 3 tbsp. brown gravy powder.
10.  Pour this mixture over the meat and simmer on medium heat for about 20 minutes.
11.  While this is simmering, cook noodles according to package directions and grate cheese.
12.  Add a small amount of olive oil to the cooked, drained noodles to stop them sticking together.

Serve and enjoy!

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

This recipe works just as well with gluten free flour as it does with regular flour.  I have some in my family that are gluten intolerant.  Most of my baking is done with this gluten free flour so that we can all enjoy the products of my labors!  I am excited about how well this flour works in most meals.  I still can't get it to work well as a puff pastry so if anyone has ideas on that I would really appreciate some feedback!  To the recipe...

Ingredients:

3 cups flour (add the tip of a teaspoon of Xanthan Gum if using gluten free flour)
2 tsp. baking powder
4 tbsp. cocoa
250g butter (18 tbsp.)
1 tsp. vanilla essence
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Slab Almond Bark (White chocolate - about 3 pieces)



1. Combine flour, xanthun gum, baking powder, and cocoa together in a large bowl and blend well.

2. Cream butter and sugar together until light and smooth.

3. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

4. Add flour mixture - this will make a fairly stiff dough.

5. Shape into a sausage and roll in wax paper.
6. Place in freezer for 30 to 40 mins to allow it to firm up. Do not freeze completely!

7. Remove from freezer and unwrap.

8. Cut into 5mm/1/4 inch slices and place on cookie sheet. (You want them to be thin because you are going to sandwich them.)

9. Stamp a design onto each cookie if desired. (I used a small, new pencil sharpener with a heart shape.)

10. Bake at 350F for 8 - 10 mins.




11. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Place on wire rack.

12. Melt chocolate over low heat. (Remove from heat sauce once melted. It takes quite a long time to re-set)

13. Put chocolate on the underside of half the cookies and once partially set, top with the other cookies.

14. Enjoy!

Salmon and Noodle Salad

This salad makes a refreshing, light lunch.  It is, for the most part, heart healthy.  It would be more so if made with whole grain noodles.  :-)  I like to keep the fish separate from the salad and allow each person to add fish to their individual taste.  

1 cup sugar snap peas - sliced
1 carrot - julienned
1 tomato - petite cut
A handful of spinach - sliced
A few leaves of cilantro - sliced
2 tbsp. almonds - chopped
2 tbsp dried cranberries
A dash ginger
A dash garlic salt
A dash chipotle chili pepper
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. Italian dressing
About 2 cups cooked noodles (any variety cooked according to package directions and cooled)
Smoked salmon and/or tuna

Mix all the ingredients, except the smoked salmon/tuna, together in a large bow.
Add smoked salmon/tuna just before eating and mix thoroughly.
Enjoy

Meatloaf meatballs and cranberry gravy

Ground meat can be used in many different ways.  I like this combination of meats - bison and pork.  I have also tried other combinations.  I typically like to mix a red meat, bison, lamb or beef with a leaner meat like pork, turkey or chicken.  You could also try this with one of the premixed pork sausage packages offered in many supermarkets mixed with beef or bison.  The cranberries add a subtle sweetness to the dish.

1 pound ground bison (or beef)
1 pound ground pork
1 medium onion
1 cup fresh green beans cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup cranberries
2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. Italian herbs
Garlic salt to taste
Dash cayenne pepper
2 tbsp. coconut oil (optional if using a non-stick pan)
1 cup water (preferably the water used to cook the vegetables to retain nutrient value)
1 package brown gravy powder
1 punnet button mushrooms

Serve with mashed or baked potato or yam and steamed mixed vegetables.
Set oven temperature to 350F

1.  Mix the meat, Parmesan cheese, Italian herbs, garlic salt and cayenne pepper together in a large bowl.

2.  Divide the mixture into 12 portions, roll into balls and then flatten to make small burgers.

3.  Heat coconut oil in a non-stick pan and flash fry the burgers to brown the outside.  Transfer to a 9 x 13 ovenproof dish.

4.  Sprinkle cut beans and cranberries evenly over the meat and place in the preheated oven.

5.  Using the same oil and frying pan, fry the button mushrooms using a fairly high heat.  This seals the outside but keeps the inside moist.  If they are large, cut into quarters before frying.

6.  Add about 1 cup water (vegetable water) to the mushrooms, and stir in the gravy powder.

7.  Pour over the meat, beans and cranberries.  Allow to continue to bake for about 10 minutes.

8.  Serve with mashed or baked potato or yam and steamed mixed vegetables.

Decadent Hot Chocolate Sauce (Milky Way)

Years ago, we used to live in Swaziland, in a small town called Mbabane.  There was only one restaurant there and they made the most delicious hot fudge sundae.  It was made with a chocolate bar called "Bar One," which is sold in South Africa, Swaziland and England.  The equivalent in the USA is "Milky Way."  Over time we figured the recipe out and it is a favorite for my family, especially when poured over raspberries or peaches, and vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients:

10 snack size or 2 large Milky Way chocolates 

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1.  Cut the chocolates into small pieces and place into heatproof ceramic or glass bowl.

2.  Add 1/4 cup whipping cream.

3.  Put about 1/2 inch of water into a pot small enough for the bowl to rest comfortably above the water.

4.  Heat over a low to medium heat, allowing the chocolate to melt slowly. Be careful - the plate will get hot!  Stir, applying a little downward pressure on the chocolate pieces until it is a smooth mixture.

5.  Pour over your favorite ice cream and enjoy!

Hearty Curry Bean and Vegetable soup

This is a hearty, stick to your bones soup for our cold, rainy, Northwest days. This recipe makes quite a large pot of soup - probably enough for about 10 people.  The one pictured here did not contain any meat other than a little chicken stock.  You could add bacon or sausage, meatballs or any other meat you have available.

Ingredients:

2 cups mixed beans (I used Cajun 15 bean soup mix) soaked overnight.
2 medium onions - chopped small
2 medium potatoes - cubed
1 cup butternut - cubed
3 carrots - sliced
1/2 cup broccoli - chunky cut
1/2 cup cauliflower - chunky cut
1/2 tsp. curry powder
dash garlic salt
6 cups boiling water
2 blocks chicken stock
1 tin unsweetened coconut milk - well shaken or stirred.
About 1 cup noodles
2 tsp. coconut oil

1.  In a small frying pan, gently fry the onions and curry powder in coconut oil (Frying the curry powder brings out the flavor.)

2.  Pour 6 cups of boiling water into a large crockpot - add chicken stock and the onion/curry powder mix.  Add or reduce water as desired.
3.  Add the soaked beans, potatoes, butternut, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower.  Depending on how soon you need the soup ready, either set on low or high.  On high it should be ready to eat in about 4 hours.
4.  Once the vegetables and beans are soft, add the coconut milk, stir well.
5.  After about 10 minutes add the noodles and stir occasionally to make sure they don't stick together or stick to the bottom of the cooker.
6.  Once the noodles are soft (10 to 20 minutes depending on your choice of noodles), your soup is ready to eat.  Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Sauce

I love this recipe as it is so easy to make and is a good complement to most stir-fry recipes.  You could add diced pineapple or mango to add to its flavor.

Ingredients:

60 ml tomato sauce (ketchup)
60 ml vinegar
15 ml soy sauce
30 ml corn flour
60 ml sugar
375 ml water

1.  Combine all the ingredients together in a microwave proof, heatproof jug.
2.  Microwave on high for 2 minutes, remove from microwave and stir.
3.  Repeat step 2 until the mixture starts to boil.  The mixture will change color and thicken when it is ready.

This is not ready yet...

Now it's ready!

See "Sweet and Sour Pork with Mango"

Sweet and Sour Pork with Mango

This is one of those meals that can be made fairly quickly.  Preparing the vegetables for frying probably takes longer than anything else!  I like to cut my vegetables in different ways to add variety to the dish. To save on dishes, I put them into separate little plastic bags as I prepare dinner.  This could be done beforehand and then stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to make dinner.

1.5 pounds pork tenderloin or steaks - cut into small cubes
1 medium onion - sliced
2 large celery sticks with leaves - cut in small strips
1 cup green beans - French cut
2 - 3 medium carrots - sliced, julienned, thick peeled or cut in rings
1 cup broccoli - chopped
4 - 6 mushrooms - sliced
15 ml coconut oil
1/2 cup small mange chunks (fresh or frozen)
2 cups Jasmine rice prepared according to package directions.
1 jug "Sweet and Sour Sauce"


1.  Melt coconut oil in a large, non-stick frying pan.
2.  Add the meat and sauté until it begins to brown, stirring occasionally to prevent it burning.
3.  Add the onions and celery and sauté for about 5 minutes.

4.  Add all the rest of the vegetables together and sauté to the desired 'done-ness.'
5.  Add the mango.
5.  While the food is cooking, make sauce according to the recipe found under "Sweet and Sour Sauce" (click the link :-))

Quinoa Vegetable Salad

I would like to introduce you to a grain that was new to me, and may be new to you too.  It is a grain called Quinoa. (Pronounced KEEN-WA)

Quinoa is a grain that originated in South America, in the Andes region.  It was one of the main foods sources for the indigenous people there.  It is unusually rich in nutrients and can be grown in a wide variety of conditions.  It is very versatle and has a pleasant, mild flavor.  A website that discusses the nutritional value and benefits of quinoa can be found here.

I made this salad as part of our dinner, along with chicken and other salads, but it could be eaten as a light lunch or dinner with the addition of some smoked salmon or tuna, etc.

Salad Ingredients:

1 cup broccoli
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup grated carrots
A few sprigs of cilantro
1/4 cup chopped spring onions
1/2 cup thinly sliced green beans (as you would cut spring onions)
2 tbsp. chopped almonds

For the dressing:

1 orange, zest and juice
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/5th tsp. ginger, crushed


Instructions:

1.  Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions.
2.  Chop the Broccoli, cilantro, spring onions, and green beans into small pieces.
3.  Mix all the salad ingredients together in a suitable bowl.
4.  In a small bowl or jug combine the dressing ingredients.   This can be either added to the salad or set aside and added per individual preference.

Chocolate Almond Biscotti

3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1.5 cups flour
4 tbsp. cocoa
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup raw chopped almonds
1/8 20oz. Almond Bark bar

Before you begin, set the oven to 350F and grease two 9 x 13 baking pans.  Line with wax paper and grease that too.  The wax paper makes the baked cake easier to work with, as you want the biscotti to be fairly thin.

1.  Combine eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat until thick.
2.  Combine flour, cocoa, and baking powder in a separate bow.
3.  Add oil to the egg/sugar mixture, and then add the flour mixture and milk.
4.  Beat thoroughty - about 2 minutes.
5.  Pour half the mixture into each of the pans.
6.  Sprinkle the almonds evenly throughout the mixture
7.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 200F and allow it to continue to cook for another 10 minutes.

8.  Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes, then using a knife or egg lifter, gently make sure the edges are loose.  Gently lift the whole 'cake' out onto a clean, smooth surface (Remember it has wax paper underneath it.)
9.  Use a pizza cutter to cut into desired biscotti size pieces without cutting the wax paper.
10.  Gently lift the cake pieces off the wax paper, placing them either on a clean oven tray or preferably on an oven safe, wire cooling rack.

11.  Return the pieces to the oven and allow to dry out at 200F for approximately 4 hours or until crisp.  At this point the 'cake' has become biscotti :-)
12.  Remove and allow to cool.

Then...

1.  Cut up 4 blocks of the 20oz. Almond bar and place in a heat proof bowl.
2.  Heat over a small pot of water until melted.
3.  Dip the biscotti into the melted chocolate as desired and allow to cool.
4.  Enjoy with a cup of fresh honeybush tea or your favorite coffee!

How to make a tea bag out of a coffee filter

I don't know about you, but I enjoy tea.  There is such a huge variety of tea available out there. Some are esteemed to have amazing health benefits and others that just taste good and are a healthy alternative to regular tea or coffee.  One of the frustrating things about the loose-leaf tea is just that - the leaves are loose and can end up floating around in your cup of tea.  Here is a very easy, cheap way to make tea bags.  I have played around with this idea with mixed success and failure and for the most part, the one presented here works perfectly every time! If you are looking for somewhere to buy loose-leaf tea, I like to buy mine from Mountain Rose Herbs.

I use an 8 - 12 cup size coffee filter to make my teabags.

Step 1.  Fold the filter in half and cut as shown in the picture.

Step 2.  Add about a tablespoon (15ml) of tea leaves of your choice in two distinct piles.  If you like to add anything to your tea, now is a good time to do it.  In these photos I am making Honeybush / Ginger tea.  I buy fresh ginger root, break it into smaller portions, vacuum seal them in individual packets and then freeze it.  I use this frozen ginger - it is easy to cut thin slices off the root and return the rest to the freezer for later use.

Step 3.  Fold the edges of the filter up so that it has a flat base, roughly 1.5 inches wide and the two long edges meet in the middle.

Step 4.  Fold the edges in the middle over twice to create a seal.

Step 5.  Now you see why we placed the leaves in two distinct piles.  Fold the filter in half, then fold the top corners to make more of a point, fold that over and staple with a regular stapler.

Step 6.  Your tea bag is ready for use.  I use just one tea bag made like this to make a pot of tea that's good for 5 to 6 cups of tea.  Enjoy!

South African Style Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 package bacon

1 medium onion

15ml (1 tbsp.) olive oil

Pinch salt

3 cups milk

1 very heaped tbsp. flour

8 oz. Cheddar cheese grated

Garlic salt

Ground cayenne red pepper

2 medium size or one large tomato sliced into thin rings

1.     Cook macaroni according to the package directions, adding olive oil to the macaroni boil water.  This will help prevent them sticking together.  Drain and set aside. (I used 20oz of Brown Rice Spiral Pasta for the photographed meal)

2.    Cut bacon into 1-inch pieces and fry until it starts to get crispy.  (The bacon is easier to cut when it is frozen.

3.  Chop onion into small pieces and fry with the bacon.

4.    Set oven to 350.

5.    Once Bacon and Onion is cooked remove as much of the bacon fat as possible. Add most of the milk, saving some to mix with the flour.

6.    Combine flour and milk and stir until it is smooth, then add to the mixture.  Slowly bring to the boil stirring gently, continually.  The mixture will thicken as it begins to boil.

7.    Remove from the heat and add about 2/3 the cheddar cheese, garlic salt and cayenne pepper.  Stir well.

8.    Combine macaroni and sauce in a large baking dish.

9.    Cover the top with tomato rings and lightly sprinkle with pepper and garlic salt. 

10.  Cover the tomatoes with the remaining cheese.

11.  Put the Mac and Cheese dish into the pre-heated oven and set oven to broil.

12.  When cheese is melted to the desired state (I like it turning brown) remove from oven.  Allow it to stand for 5 minutes, serve and enjoy!

Thank you Lynn Renard for your photo share!  

It looks good!