Marmalade Muffins

Before Christmas I shared a recipe for marmalade. I love marmalade with peanut butter on toast, (thank you for that idea Lovella) but wanted to do something else with the jam so I decided to bake marmalade muffins. They are so delicious. I know I will be baking another batch soon.

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2/3 cup marmalade
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Whisk together eggs, oil, marmalade, and buttermilk until blended.
2. Combine dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients, stirring just until moistened.
3. Spoon batter into a greased muffin tin.
4. Bake in a 375º oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Check to see if they are done with a toothpick after 20 minutes.
5. Cool 5 minutes, then remove muffins and cool on rack.
6. These muffins are delicious just as they are but you can brush a little glaze on them.
7. Yield: 12 muffins

Glaze:

• 3/4 cup icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange juice

1. Mix until smooth and drizzle over slightly cooled muffins.

Bread for the Journey

Several years ago we hiked through some rock canyons and the lyrics from the hymn He Hideth My Soul in the Cleft of the Rock ran through my mind. We walked through some narrow 'clefts in the rock'. The closeness of the rock walls added protection, a shelter from the elements. There was a strength in the walls of rock that opened giving us a narrow path to follow.
The words Fanny Crosby penned in this hymn speak of the nearness of the Lord, His protection, His goodness, His deep love. A wonderful Saviour who takes our burdens, in our weakness giving us His strength, day by day. He goes before us in all His glory and one day we will meet our Wonderful Saviour face to face.

Do you know this Wonderful Saviour? I pray that if you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus  that today you will invite this Wonderful Saviour to be the Lord of your life. He loves you and desires for all to come to Him. 

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Savior to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life in the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
He taketh my burden away;
He holdeth me up and I shall not be moved,
He giveth me strength as my day.

When clothed in His brightness, transported I rise
To meet Him in clouds of the sky,
His perfect salvation, His wonderful love,
I'll shout with the millions on high.

Chicken & Rice Casserole

This is our one time family favorite. Just make sure that you always have these ingredients in your pantry and you'll realize how quick this puts together and you have one tasty chicken dish.

Do you have five minutes? Yes, that's all this requires. This recipe comes from my Central Heights Cookbook. Add some broccoli and a fresh salad.
I have often made this Sunday morning and off to church we'd go, only to walk into a home smelling with aromas that makes you want to eat right away. And all being said...You will be eating shortly.

Now remember the Olympics countdown is here and so start today with your grocery list. It will save you fretting about, wondering what to make while you want to enjoy the the winter games.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

• 1 Cup white rice (uncooked)
  
• 1 pkg. Lipton onion soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups water
• 4 skinless chicken breasts

Butter casserole. Put rice on bottom, then chicken. Next add water and soup. Cover.
Bake in 350 degrees for 2 hours.

Simple ingredients.

Bake in the oven for 2 hours.

I usually double this recipe. It's even great for leftovers.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

A copy of  Kraft's 'what's cooking' fall recipe publication showed up in my mailbox yesterday. I decided to try the dish featured on the front cover before the book was put away and forgotten, and I'm so glad I did! It's quick and simple and can also be made ahead and refrigerated.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake:

• 1 19 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained  (if using 14 oz. can tomatoes, add 1/2 cup water)
• 1 package (120 g) Stove Top stuffing mix for chicken
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 4 chicken breasts)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves)
• 1 cup Tex/Mex shredded cheese

1. Mix tomatoes, stuffing mix and garlic. 
2. Cut chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and spread in 13x9-inch pan (sprayed with cooking oil).
3. Sprinkle with basil leaves (I prefer fresh) and shredded cheese.
4. Cover with stuffing mixture.
5. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes at 375°F or until chicken is cooked through (165° F on meat thermometer).
6. Serve with a green salad.  

* I have also increased the number of chicken breasts from 4 to 6 as well on occasion, and allowed a little longer cooking time (about 45 minutes).

Canelloni

This is a great make ahead meal.
Served with a salad and Marg's Rustic Italian bread or with Foccacia bread you have a lovely Italian meal nice enough to serve to company.

• spaghetti sauce, homemade or from a jar
• 1 500 ml carton ricotta cheese
• 1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 recipe Bechamel sauce (recipe follows)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Bechamel Sauce:

• 1/4 cup margarine or butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• salt and pepper to taste

* I bought my fresh lasagne sheets at our local grocery store in the deli section. They come in a package of 8 sheets and are found with the other fresh pastas.

1. Cut each lasagne sheet into two pieces.
2. Bring salted water to boil in a large pot and cook lasagne sheets until just tender. This will only take a few minutes.
3. Drain pasta and rinse well. Lay each piece out on the counter.
4. Squeeze excess moisture from the spinach and mix together with the ricotta, 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese and the egg. ( I actually forgot to add the egg and the filling still held together very well).
5. Using about 2 tablespoons for each piece of pasta, form filling into a log and place on the narrow end of the pasta sheet.
6. Roll up each forming a filled tube.
7. Make Bechamel sauce. I usually do this in the microwave, but you can also do it on the stove. Melt butter, add flour and gradually whisk in milk. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly or microwave stirring after each minute of cooking. Cook until mixture thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Put a large spoonful each of Bechamel and Spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a rectangular casserole dish.
9. Place filled pasta tubes in 2 rows in dish.
10. Cover with remaining spaghetti sauce.
11. Top with remaining Bechamel sauce.
12. Grate fresh parmesan cheese on top.
13. Cover with foil. This can be refrigerated or frozen at this point.
14. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, remove foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
15. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
    
    

Pomegranate Spinach Salad

Happy New Year!

Today is the day to make Portzelky (New Years Cookies) ! 

Check here for the recipe. 

I wanted to share a salad with you today that we enjoyed often during the last few weeks. 

You might still have some pomegranates and this salad is fresh, delicious and healthy too.

The pomegranate arils are like little jewels that brighten up any salad bowl.  Buy them now while they are available.  A whole pomegranate will store will in the refrigerator for weeks. 

The apron is from Menno Apparel!  Check their link here for some fun options for your whole family. 

Pomegranate Dressing  - makes just about a cup of dressing and will be enough for a large container (312 grams / 11 ounces) of spinach

• 4 tablespoons Pomegranate Arils (seeds)  1 Pomegranate will be enough for the dressing and the salad
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/3 cup tarragon vinegar
• 1/3 cup avocado oil (any light tasting oil will be fine)

Salad Fixings  

• baby spinach
• pomegranate arils  (seeds)
• toasted almonds slices
• crumbled feta cheese

1. To remove the arils (seeds) from the pomegranate,  roll the fruit on the counter, slice around the middle, split it in half and then turn it open side down over a bowl and hit the back of the fruit with a wooden spoon to release the arils. 
2. Put all the dressing ingredients into a blender jar and process on high until smooth and frothy.  Pour into a small jar with a lid and refrigerate until just before dressing the salad.
3. Layer the Salad Fixings in a shallow bowl for best effect.   You can make this salad as small or large as you like.  (for a large salad you will need two pomegranates.
4. Shake the dressing and drizzle it over just before serving.  

Creme Brulee

This is a dessert you can often find at fine dining restaurants. Maybe that's why people think it must be difficult to make. Fear not! There are very few ingredients, and it's very simple to make.
This could be your New Years Eve dessert.
(Read all instructions before you begin. There are a few steps you will want to have ready before you begin.)



Recipe for 8 4 ounce ramekins.
First step. Place ramekins on baking pan that will allow you to add boiling water to. You will bake the custard in a water bath. I lined mine with tin foil but you don't have to. A glass 9x13 pan works well for the baking pan.
OK, you are set.

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 8 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 teaspoons sugar to use for caramelizing 

1. Place egg yolks in a bowl. Add first amount of sugar and whisk together until the yolks are creamy. Set aside.
2. Add cream to a small sauce pan. Heat over medium stirring constantly, until cream is steamy and very warm, but do not let it get to the boiling point. (this is important)
3. Remove cream from heat and slowly pour about 1/4 cup of the cream into the egg yolk and sugar mixture making sure you are whisking the whole time. (this too is extremely important so you get no cooked yolk pieces)
4. Add vanilla and mix well. 
5. Pour the egg and sugar mixture into the pan of remaining cream and whisk well. 
6. Have a glass bowl ready that is covered with cheesecloth. I secure the cheesecloth to the bowl with an elastic band so it doesn't slide into the custard when being poured through.
7. Pour the warm custard through the cheesecloth to make sure your remaining custard is completely smooth and there are not lumps. (See photo below) This process will also remove some foam from the custard. It will sit on the top of the cheesecloth. Discard this. 
8. Pour strained custard mixture into 6-8 ramekins that are sitting in a baking tray deep enough to hold the water bath you will add during baking.
9. Place tray with filled ramekins into a 250º F oven. 
10. Once tray is in oven carefully pour boiling water into the baking tray until the water is half way up the sides of the ramekins. Make sure you don't get any water in the custard. 
11. Close the oven door and allow the custards to bake for 45 minutes. 
12. Open door and carefully jiggle one or two of the little cups (be careful of the hot water). They should be set around the edges but jiggly (not runny) in the centre. You may have to bake them another 5-15 minutes. Always a wee bit different with every oven, but don't over bake, the jiggle in the centre is important. 
13. Once baked carefully remove each ramekin to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
14. Cover tightly with wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 8 hours. (even a day or two is fine)
15. One hour before serving remove from refrigerator. Remove wrap. If there is a little condensation on the tops gently dab with a paper towel. 
16. Sprinkle tops with 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar (I like to use Turbino sugar for this but you can use regular white sugar). Gently tip and shake each little pot to get the sugar to coat the whole top of each one.
17. Now it's time to torch the sugar. If you have a little kitchen torch use that to caramelize the sugar. If not, place all the little pots back onto a baking sheet. Turn oven on broil. Place tray with custards under broiler. DON'T WALK AWAY! Turn on the oven light and watch carefully. It will take very little time before the sugar begins to melt. It will go from this point to burnt very quickly so just stay with it. You do want it to JUST begin to look like it might burn. QUICKLY remove from oven. 
18. Allow to cool for just a minute or two and then place back in refrigerator, uncovered, for about 1/2 hour. Or you can leave on counter.  I like the pudding to be cold so I do put it back in the refrigerator for that short time.
19. Make coffee or tea, and by that time your little pots of Creme Brulee will be ready to serve. 

Portzelky (New Year Fritters)

By the sound of the name, I imagine that these New Years fritters were adopted from our Ukrainian roots. My own mother was not in the habit of making these, but the family I married into was, so I chose this recipe many years ago, submitted by a Mrs. J. H. Peters to the Mennonite Treasury of Recipes. The trick is to make sure that the oil is the right temperature, so it is good if you can use an electric pan or fryer where you can set it. This recipe makes 3 dozen.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup hot water
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• 1/2 cup prunes cut into small pieces
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 egg whites, beaten stiff
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

1 litre Canola oil (approx) for frying

Method:

1. Rinse raisins with boiling water to plump
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine milk, water, salt, sugar, soda, raisins and prunes.
3. Combine flour, baking powder and yeast, adding some to the liquids.
4. Stir egg yolks into batter and then add the rest of the dry ingredients to make a heavy batter which will be rather stiff.
5. Fold in beaten egg whites with spatula
6. Cover and let rise until double in size. (half to one hour)
7. Using two regular tablespoons (one for scooping and one for scraping) drop into hot oil (about 375° F or 190° C), turning over once and frying until brown. I also like to use a cast iron for deep frying. Pop in a few kernels of popcorn, once they pop, you know the oil is hot enough. 
8. Scoop into a paper towel lined pan and roll in sugar while still warm.

Happy New Year!

Portzelky (New Years Cookies)

I've posted this recipe before on my blog .. .but since this is a Mennonite Recipe blog, it must be transferred over here. I trust that a few more Portzelky recipes that are a yearly favorite in some of the other Mennonite homes from the women on this blog will follow.
I decided to post it before New Years Day so that you could see what you needed and avoid a last minute rush to the market.

Portzelky (Terry's Grandma's Recipe) pronounced . . .

par cel tche

In a large bowl put

• 2 tablespoons yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water 
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Stir the yeast, warm water, and sugar together slightly and let rest 10 minutes.

Add

• 1/2 cup sugar
•  5 beaten eggs
• 1/4 cup very soft butter or (melted is fine)
• 2 1/2 cups of warm milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir this together very well.

Add

• 4 cups of raisins (these must be fresh . .not something you dig out of the bottom of the drawer)

Start to stir in the flour. You'll need 7 cups. This will make a fairly stiff batter.

1. Cover this up with plastic wrap or a lid and let rise until it's doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
2. Drop by tablespoons into hot, deep fat ( I Use Canola oil) and fry until golden brown. Now this can be a bit tricky. If the fat is not hot enough they will soak up too much fat and that is not good. If the fat is too hot they will brown too quickly and still be doughy in the middle. It's a good idea to throw some bread cubes in first to see how they fry. After all these years I still usually have to throw out the first one or two.
3. It's a good idea to stick in a toothpick to the middle of the Portzelky every once in a while to make sure it comes out clean.
4. When you take them out of the oil, put them on some paper towel to sop up the oil.

It has become tradition in my family to call together all my Geschwister (siblings) and their families to have a bowl of soup, and some Portzelky on New Years Day. This has become our Christmas gathering.

Turkey Shepherd's Pie

Here's another way to make use of the leftover Christmas Turkey and mashed potatoes. 

 I like the addition of Butternut squash.

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped red pepper
• 1/2 cup cubed roasted or cooked squash
• 1/2 cup chopped cooked carrots
• 1 1/2 cups cut up roast turkey
• seasoned mashed potatoes - about 2-3 cups or to cover
• 2 tablespoons bread crumbs 
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

For the sauce

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup turkey or chicken broth (you can add some of the turkey gravy if you have some)
• 1 cup milk
• Salt and pepper to taste.
•  1 - 2 teaspoons Poultry seasoning (to taste)

1. Place oil and butter in a frying pan over medium high heat.
2. Add mushrooms, onion, celery and red pepper and saute' until soft.
3. Place cooked vegetables in a casserole dish. (I used 2  4 cup casseroles)
4. Add cooked squash, carrots and turkey. Set aside. 
5. Make Sauce by melting butter in microwavable dish or saucepan.
6. Add flour and stir until blended.
7. Add milk a little at a time, whisking it well.  
8. Cook until thick, stirring frequently.
9. Stir in salt and pepper and poultry seasoning to taste.
10. Pour over turkey and vegetables in casserole dish and mix
11. Cover with mashed potatoes.
12. To make topping, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a microwavable bowl.
13. Add bread crumbs, parsley and Parmesan and toss together.
14. Sprinkle potatoes with topping.
15. Bake in a 350ºF oven for about 50 minutes or until heated through.
16. Serve with a fresh green salad.

I froze the extra casserole for another day.