Chocolate Crepes

Crepes are simply delicious. The filling is what makes them. For the ones featured today I thickened the juice from a jar of sour cherries and added fresh cut strawberries, raspberries and vanilla bean ice cream. Top with sweetened whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. 

Crepes: yields 14-16

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flour

1. Beat eggs, and add in remaining ingredients. Beat well until you have a smooth batter.
2. Heat a non stick pan over medium. (you do not need to spray pan)
3. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup scoop batter and pour into middle of pan. Twirl pan so the batter spreads out into a thin round. 
4. Allow to cook on first side for a few minutes. Gently flip and cook on second side for about 30 seconds.
5. Remove to a cooling rack. Once cooled stack between wax or parchment paper until ready to fill and serve. 

**these can be made ahead of time and once cooked and stacked put into a container or sealed bag to keep from getting dried out, until ready to serve**

Sour Cherry Filling:

• 3 cups juice from canned sour cherries in light syrup
• cherries from the jar, pit if needed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1. Drain the cherries and put the juice into a microwavable bowl.
2. Whisk the cornstarch into the juice and microwave until the juice bubbles and there is not more 'chalky' taste from the cornstarch. This will take about 5-7 minutes. Stir several times between.
3. Pit cherries if they are not already. Add to the thickened juice. Set mixture aside to cool. This can be done ahead of time and put in refrigerator. This is also nice served slightly warm, but not hot.

Suggested fillings and toppings:

• sliced strawberries
• raspberries
• ice cream
• pudding or mousse
• whipped cream
• chocolate sauce
• dusting of powered sugar

Savory Egg Bake

I really enjoy having friends over for brunch. This easy egg bake can be adjusted to your liking by changing up the choice of meat or veggies and cheeses used.
Serve with a side of crispy bacon, roasted potatoes or hashbrowns and a nice fruit salad and you have a lovely brunch.

• 1 lb of turkey breakfast sausages, casings removed (or any preferred sausage)
• 1 red pepper, diced (can use any color) 
• 2 cups of cottage cheese or ricotta (I used cottage cheese)
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever kind of cheese you have in the fridge, mozza works great too) 
• 12 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup of flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional) I used it.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• dash of hot sauce like Tabasco (optional) 
• 1 teaspoon of Dijon Mustard (optional)

1. Brown the sausage meat and cook through until all the pink of the meat is gone. 
2. Drain the cooked meat on a paper towel to remove  any excess grease. 
3. In the same pan cook the red pepper with the seasoning until the peppers have softened. 
4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, flour and baking soda. Add the cheeses, sausage and pepper, mix well. Pour into a well greased 9x13 baking dish and bake at 375 F for 30-40 minutes or until the center doesn't jiggle any more and the top is slightly browned. 
5. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serves 8-10. 

Bread for the Journey

Are you looking for direction?

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.  Jeremiah 33:3 ESV

When we don't know which way to turn and the road ahead seems impassable, there is One we can turn to.  The God who made heaven and earth and who knows all things, tells us to call on Him. Is anything too difficult for Him?

Jeremiah 33:3 is a verse I memorized as a child, and a promise I have claimed through life. When I find myself at the 'end of the tracks', with no idea what I should do, that verse always comes to mind.  God has promised that He will show me the way. I see only the roadblock and not the 'big picture'. I see the end of the road and not the rest of the map.  But God sees it all.  I can trust Him with my request for direction.

How is your journey going?  God knows where you are and the road that lies ahead. As we move forward into 2018, let's put our trust in God and allow Him to lead.  He has given us the Bible...words to guide us in our daily life.  He has also given us the Holy Spirit to teach and lead us.  He gives us hope for the future.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.  Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

 

Flashback Friday - Goluptsi

We grew up enjoying Golubtsi, Голубцы, a Russian version of cabbage rolls. I didn’t develop a taste for cabbage until my adult years so I’d peel off the cabbage and just enjoy the filling. Today I really enjoy cabbage in all it’s cooked or uncooked forms! Once you get the cabbage leaves ready to go this is a simple recipe to make. This is my mother's version. There are many other recipes that differ from hers. This was first posted in 2011 here.

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cabbage
• 2 pounds ground beef, 15% fat or higher
• 1-1/2 cups cooked rice cooled
• 1/2 onion, grated
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 can condensed tomato soup, (approx. 10-3/4 ounces)
• 1- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1-1/2 cups sour cream
• 2 cups water

Method:

1. Core the cabbage leaving it whole.
2. Boil the head of cabbage in a pot of water until leaves separate easily.
3. Drain leaves and let them cool while you prepare the filling.
4. Combine the ground beef, rice, onion, salt, pepper, and parsley.
5. Once the leaves are cool enough to handle you can trim some of the thick vein of the cabbage leaf to make it easier to fold.
6. Place about 1/3 cup of ground beef mixture onto a cabbage leaf and fold edges over and roll up.
7. Place in baking dish with folded seams down.
8. Continue until you use up the ground beef mixture and cabbage leaves.
9. Saute the chopped onion in a little oil until it is translucent.
10. Add soup, tomato sauce, ketchup, and water, mix well and bring to a boil.
11. Add a little of this sauce to the sour cream to temper it and then add the sour cream mixture to the sauce and mix well.
12. Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls.
13. Bake in a 350 degree oven for an hour or longer, till hamburger is fully cooked.
14. Yield: 12-18 Cabbage Rolls depending on size of your meat balls.

Serve with your favorite green side dish and some good bread to soak up the sauce!

Tips:
You may need two baking dishes to accommodate more than 12 rolls.
While the whole head of cabbage is cooking in the pot I use tongs to remove the leaves gradually as they start to release from the head of cabbage and put them on a kitchen towel to cool. I keep checking as I prepare the other steps in the recipe.
I use a sharp paring knife to trim the vein starting in the center of the thick vein away from me to the outer thicker part of the vein.

One of our sons doesn’t tolerate milk products so I made a small batch of the Golubtsi and covered them with the sauce before I added the sour cream to the rest of the sauce. We find that using hamburger that is 15% fat or more is better for these as the meat that has less fat in it can be dry.

Tropical Upside Down Cake

Here's a slightly different twist to Pineapple Upside Down Cake. The secret is the Orange Marmalade. Serve with whipped cream for a taste of the tropics.

For the Topping:

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/3 cup orange marmelade
• 1/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 1/2 cup flaked or shredded coconut

For the Cake:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or coconut extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon orange zest - if desired

1. Mix melted butter with brown sugar, stir in marmalade and pineapple and coconut.
2. Spread topping evenly in the bottom of a 9 inch ring mold or a 9 inch cake pan. Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, blend butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy.
4. Add dry ingredients and milk alternately and beat for about 2 minutes until batter is smooth.
5. Spread batter over topping in cake pan or ring mold.
6. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 25-30 minutes or until cake tested comes out clean.
7. Cool 5 minutes and then invert on to a serving plate.
8. Serve  warm or cold with whipped cream or ice cream.

German Fried Potatoes

Plain fried potatoes were a staple in our home, growing up. When my grandmother made them, they were sure to have lots of fresh garlic added in as well, so they come with memories attached of plain and filling family meals. This embellished recipe is one I've adapted from Bon Appetit. Good enough to serve "fancy" with Rouladen or Schnitzel and red cabbage. 

Ingredients:

• 8 medium unpeeled red potatoes
• salt to taste
• 6 slices bacon
• 4 tablespoons cooking sherry
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 2 tablespoons wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

Method:

1. Cook potatoes in salted water until just done, 25-30 minutes. Drain. Cool and refrigerate several hours or overnight, for easy chopping.
2. Cut unpeeled potatoes in half and each half again once or twice. Slice. 
3. In large, deep skillet, cook bacon until done. Remove, chop and set aside. Keep fat in skillet. 
4. Add potatoes to skillet and sprinkle with salt. Saute over medium heat, flipping as they brown. This may take 10 minutes. 
5. Add sherry, chopped onion and bacon bits. Stir as needed, cooking until onion is done and potatoes are browned in parts. 
6. In the meantime, mix oil, vinegars and mustard, then drizzle over potatoes. Toss to coat and remove from heat. Add salt and pepper if needed. You can make these ahead and keep them warm in a crock pot. Once ready to serve, transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with chives. Serves 8 

Red Thai Curry Vegetable Noodle Soup

We love going out for Red Thai Curry Rice bowls and this soup which is a favourite of ours could be served over rice or vermicelli noodles.  It is a great quick meal any day of the week.

•  baby bok choy (size varies so think about needing about 4 cups chopped)
• 1 large yam
• 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 1/2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste 
• 1 litre or 1-quart chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 - 1 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce (start with 1/2 and adjust according to your taste)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 14 ounces / 398 ml can coconut milk
• rice or wheat vermicelli noodles, cooked according to package instructions

Garnishes

• 1 lime, cut into sections
• red onion, sliced into slivers
• fresh chopped cilantro

1. Chop the baby bok choy, slicing the green part off first,  and setting it aside and then chopping the white part into bite-sized pieces. 
2. Peel and dice the yam into 1/2 inch dice.
3. In a large saucepan,  heat the oil and add the garlic, ginger, and Thai red curry paste.
4. Stir over medium heat for one minute and then add sliced red onion, diced red pepper,  diced yams and the white chopped parts of the bok choy along with the broth.  
5. Simmer it until the vegetables are tender and then add the coconut milk, brown sugar and fish sauce.  Add the green parts of the bok choy.  Keep the soup warm at the lowest simmer.
6. Cook the vermicelli in a medium saucepan of boiling water.  
7. Divide the noodles between bowls and cover with soup.
8. Garnish with red onion, lime and chopped cilantro.

Makes 6 servings

Flash Back Friday ~ BBQ Chicken Pizza

This recipe was originally posted here in 2008. In the summer we do it on the BBQ and it changes the flavor and texture of the pizza, really very delicious. However it is bitterly cold here in Winnipeg in the winter so I bake it in the oven.  I will add the pizza crust recipe that I like to use which I didn't in the orignal recipe. This makes two large cookie sheet size pizzas, or three 12"  round pizza pans. The topping amount is for two - 12 inch round pizza pans. 

Pizza dough:

• 2 cups warm water
• 1 tablespoon instant dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2-3 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 5-6 cups flour

1. Mix 4 1/2 cups flour and the remaining dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together with a wire whisk.
2. Add the oil and the warm water.
3. Stir well with a wooden spoon.
4. Add more flour as needed and knead the dough on a well floured surface until the dough is smooth and elastic about 7-10 minutes. 
5. Let the dough rest under the bowl for 20 minutes. 
6. Divide the dough into two. 

Toppings: (for 2 - 12 inch pizza pans)

• 1 cup or less (depending how saucy you like your pizza) BBQ sauce, your favorite flavor (hickory smoke is ours)
• approx 2 cups grilled or cooked chicken, roughly cut up or shredded. (A supermarket roasted chicken is a great option, especially in the winter.)
• red onion, chopped or thinly sliced, as much as you like, a handful for each pizza
• green or red pepper, chopped
• 1 tin pineapple chunks, drained
• 8-12 oz mozzarella cheese, grated
• a few slices of bacon fried and crumbled for the top
• cornmeal to dust on the pizza pans

Directions:

1. Grease two 12 inch pizza pans and dust with cornmeal.
2. Press dough in gently, pushing to the edge for a nice round crust.
3. Spread on preferred amount of BBQ sauce for each pizza, about 1/3 cup.
4. Pour a bit of the sauce onto the chicken for more flavor.
5. Sprinkle pizza with a little cheese
6. Add the chicken, red onion, green pepper, pineapple and bacon.
7. Top with remaining cheese.
8. Preheat the BBQ on the one side only on high. You will be cooking on indirect heat.
9. Put the pizza on the top of the heating rack on the opposite side of the flame and bake with the lid closed for about 15 minutes giving the pizza a quarter turn about every 5-7 minutes.
10. Total baking time is about 25-30 minutes.
11. If baking in the oven, bake in a preheated oven at 450 degrees F for 15 - 20 minutes or until desired crispness is achieved for the crust. 

Pomegranate Salsa

This is a different type of salsa that is refreshing with lots of good crunch.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pomegranate arils
• 1 cup seeded and chopped English Cucumber
• 1 cup diced fresh firm pear
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Combine pomegranate, cucumber, pear, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro.
2. Add salt and mix well.
3. Add fresh squeezed lime juice and mix well.
4. Serve with tortilla chips.

Tip: The cup like shaped tortilla chips would work better for this salsa. You can substitute jicama for the pear if you'd like.

Creamy Pesto Chicken

Pesto and tomatoes are always a great combination.  

The addition of a creamy baked on sauce ramps up the flavours in this chicken dish.

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2-3 tablespoons of homemade or prepared pesto (found in the pasta sauce aisle of your supermarket)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 small garlic clove minced
• 1 teaspoon pesto (second amount)
• 12 or more cherry tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cover a baking pan with parchment paper.
3. Place pesto (first amount) in a bowl and coat chicken breasts one at a time.
4. Place chicken breasts on prepared pan. 
5. Mix mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic and the teaspoon of pesto in a small bowl.
6. In another small bowl, toss cherry tomatoes with oil.
7. Add cherry tomatoes to the pan with the chicken and bake for about 15 minutes.
8. Take chicken out of oven and top each breast with a generous tablespoon of the sauce , rounding it over the top of  each breast.
9. Return to oven and continue baking until chicken is done, about 10 - 15  more minutes.
10. If cherry tomatoes look done before the chicken, remove them from the pan to a small bowl and continue baking chicken until it is lightly browned on top and baked through. (The oil will bake out of the pesto so be prepared for a few puddles of oil on the pan.)
11. Remove chicken breasts to a serving platter and top with the cherry tomatoes.
12. Serves 4.