Tuna Casserole

Originally published on May 2, 2012

I really don’t understand why tuna casserole gets such a bad rep. It’s the classic example of taking really simple ingredients and turning them into something that is absolutely magical. Warm, bubbly, delicious, and all those aromas that are just pure comfort no matter how you slice it. I confess to even wanting this dish so badly sometimes when I’ve been out of ingredients that I’ve been very lenient with my substitutions. Broken up lasagna noodles and yes I admit, even chopped up string cheese for the top when I didn’t even have a crumb to spare. Might not be as magical then, but still pretty good – and that’s hard to do when you’re talking about cooking with string cheese! This one’s the real deal though, and exactly how it was meant to be!

Ingredients:

1 package egg noodles 
2 cans tuna, drained and flaked 
1 cup frozen peas 
4 tablespoons butter; plus 4 tablespoons, melted 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, finely minced 
4 cloves garlic, sliced 
4 tablespoons flour
Pinch of nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground mustard
2 1/2 cups milk 
Salt
White pepper
1 1/2 cups fine bread crumbs

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Line a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2.) Take the 1 1/2 cups fine bread crumbs, combine them with 4 tablespoons of melted butter and stir to thoroughly combine. Set aside.

3.) In a medium-sized saucepan, melt four tablespoons of butter with one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Once melted add minced onion, four slices of garlic, ground mustard, and nutmeg. Stir and allow to cook for one minute. Add flour and stir to thoroughly combine in the fat. Cook for two minutes. Then, slowly whisk milk in a little at a time,  stirring constantly. When all milk is added, add a pinch of salt and white pepper. Continue stirring until milk has thickened, about 5 – 7 minutes.

4.) If water has boiled by this point, add a very generous dash of salt along with the egg noodles. Cook for about 4 or 5 minutes, then drain completely. Place in casserole dish.

5.) To the noodles in the casserole dish add tuna, peas, and milk mixture. Stir to thoroughly combine and then shake casserole dish gently to even it out. Sprinkle the entire top with the bread crumbs soaked in butter.

6.) Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 – 25 minutes until the entire dish is bubbly and the top is golden brown.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Blueberry Muffins

Originally published May 12, 2012

Blueberries are a Superfood for a reason – just about every single thing about them is good, and there’s not a single bad word to be said about them. But, try telling my kids that.

Blueberries have powerful antioxdiants that do a number of good things for you including keeping your heart healthy and helping with cancer prevention. In addition to that, blueberries are also extremely good for your eyes and they can also help keep your mind sharp. But kids don’t care about any of that.

I can’t really blame them. I didn’t like blueberries myself until a few years ago, and I’m 33 years old now. In fact, I still only like blueberries when made in certain ways, certain dishes. And this is one of them! A very easy, very tasty blueberry muffin recipe that takes only minutes to put together – and has terrific health benefits, too!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, room temp
1 cup granulated sugar 
2 large eggs 
1 teaspoon vanilla 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
2 cups all-purpose flour 
1/2 cup milk 
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Butter 12 muffin cups, or place paper liners inside.

3.) In a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed, mix butter until creamy. Add sugar and beat until pale and fluffy, turning speed to medium if necessary.

4.) Add eggs one at a time, beating after each.

5.) Beat in vanilla, baking powder, and salt.

6.) With spoon, fold in half of flour then half of milk into batter. When incorporated, fold in remaining flour and then remaining milk. Fold in blueberries.

7.) Spoon into muffin cups and place in oven. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until muffins are golden brown and spring back lightly when touched.

8.) Remove from oven and allow to rest in muffin cups for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

9.) Serve and enjoy!

Laura’s Cauliflower Gratin

Originally published May 16, 2012

I watched the episode that Laura Calder made this dish and it was one of those ones that looked so good I had to make it that night. I did substitute in cheddar cheese for the pricier cheese that I almost never have on hand – Gruyere cheese, which Laura used on the show. On the Food Network copy of this recipe, it also states that the cauliflower should be “just shy of being tender,” while on the show, Laura said that you want it, “pretty much done.” I went with the word straight out of her mouth and I have to say, it was pretty darned good!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups milk
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, split
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour 
1/2 cup cheddar cheese 
1 head cauliflower florettes 
1/4 cup breadcrumbs 
2 to 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.) Make the sauce by bringing the milk to a simmer in a saucepan with the bay leaf and garlic. Cover, turn off the heat, and let infuse, about 15 minutes. Melt the butter in the saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute to remove the raw flour taste. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring, until thick. Stir in the cheese, season with salt and pepper, and reserve.

2.) Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Salt the water and blanch the cauliflower until just shy of being tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and pat dry with a tea towel. Season with salt and pepper, then toss with the sauce and dump into a gratin or casserole dish. Scatter over the breadcrumbs and Parmesan and bake until bubbling and gratineed on top.

3.) Serve and enjoy!

Poker Party Potato Skins

Originally published on May 23, 2012

What can be better than a plate of golden crispy, perfect potato skins? According to my husband’s poker buddies, nothing. They’re the perfect indulgence and when you bake them, they’re just that much healthier for you (though don’t kid yourself, these really aren’t healthy for anybody.) Typically the skins are deep-fried before the cheese gets melted in the oven, but they turn out just as crispy when you double-bake them first.

And, what could be better than whipping up a plate of these for just a few dollars? Order them in a restaurant, and they’re going to cost you twice that – guaranteed!

Ingredients:

6 small to medium-sized russet baking potatoes
4 tablespoons canola oil, divided 
Kosher salt 
Freshly ground pepper 
6 strips of bacon 
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese 
1/2 cup sour cream 
2 green onions, thinly sliced 

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Scrub and thoroughly dry the potatoes.

2.) Rub the potatoes all over with canola oil and place them in the preheated oven. Bake for an hour, or until the potatoes are for-tender, and then remove from oven. Allow to cool completely.

3.) While the potatoes are cooking, fry the bacon strips over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, or until they are brown and crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Allow to cool completely and then crumble.

4.) When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half horizontally. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the insides of the potato, leaving a small edge of potato (about 1/4 inch) around the whole skin and the bottom.

5.) Turn the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush canola oil all over the potato skins, inside and out, and sprinkle with salt. Place on a baking sheet, skin-side down, and cook in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Take them out of the oven, flip over to other side and cook in the oven for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and let them cool enough to handle them.

6.) Preheat broiler.

7.) Arrange the potatoes, again skin-side down, on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the insides with black pepper, cheddar cheese, and crumbled bacon.

8.) Place in the oven and broil for an additional 2 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven. Use tongs to place skins on a serving plate. Add a dollop of sour cream to each skin, sprinkle with green onions.

9.) Serve and enjoy!

Prime Rib

Originally published on June 5, 2012

So it’s a prime rib recipe; what could be bad? Nothing, if you don’t just treat it like any other rib and make the mistake of just putting it in the oven. So that being said, and everyone agreeing that prime rib is delicious, here are a few facts about this coveted cut of beef:

  • Not just any ol’ rib gets to be called “prime rib.” These ribs have to come from ribs 6-12 on the cow. (No joke!) It’s actually this cut from which the roast gets its name. Unlike many think, it’s not due to any federal standards or grading systems.
  • When buying prime rib, you should look for meat that is very red and vibrant in colour, and that has milky white marbling throughout. That marbling is the beef’s fat. It’s what gives prime rib its flavour, and what you’re paying the big bucks for!
  • Lots of people like to highly recommend buying a meat thermometer specifically for prime rib. I personally think it’s just one more place for all those delicious juices to leak out.
  • Using the ‘jus,’ or the pan drippings, is also popular to make a gravy after mixing in some flour. I think the dripping and juices are liquid gold, and don’t recommend toying with them.
  • “Do not serve prime rib well done. Fry a chicken if you think pink meat is gross.” – Unknown
  • April 27 is National Prime Rib Day.

Ingredients:

1 standing rib roast, 3 to 5 ribs (about 2 people per rib)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper 

Directions:

1.) Remove roast from the refrigerator, wrapped, for at least 3 hours before cooking, long enough to bring it to room temperature.

2.) Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and generously sprinkle entire roast with salt and pepper. Place the roast, fat side up (or resting on the ribs) in a roasting pan and place in the oven.

3.) Allow the meat to cook for 15 minutes in the extremely hot oven and then, without opening the oven door, reduce the heat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast for 15-17 minutes per pound for medium rare; 13-15 per pound for rare. When finished, a meat thermometer inserted into the meat (but not near the bone) should read 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit for rare; and 115-120 degrees Fahrenheit for medium rare.

4.) Once meat has achieved desired temperature remove from oven, place on carving board, and cover with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 20 minutes.

5.) After resting, cut strings from meat and slice the ribs away with one smooth cut. Carve the meat, about 1/4-1/2′ thick.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Lunchbox Strawberry Rhubarb Pies

Originally published on June 9, 2012

Rhubarb always takes me back to when I was just a little kid. We used to go over to my grandma and grandpa’s every Sunday, and strawberry-rhubarb pies were often served for dessert. They were some of my favourite, but it wasn’t just the pies that I loved. When the rhubarb came out in the kitchen, it always meant a special treat for me as my grandma would dip a stick in sugar and hand it to me. I’d sit at the kid’s table, happily chomping and sucking away on my sweet and sour treat. I tell ya, I still can’t bring any rhubarb out into my own kitchen without swiping one and running it through some sugar for a treat that takes me back to all those years ago.

Okay, enough with memory lane – what are these pies like? Well, they don’t taste like my grandma’s, but I don’t think anything would. These are delicious and were a big hit with my whole family (although hubby requested one that was rhubarb-free.) Maddie, my youngest, claimed that she didn’t like the inside, but the dough was still really good; and Paige, the older daughter, loved them (and she’s the picky one!) Who could be picky with these, though?

They’re pretty easy to pull together, they taste delicious – and they’re pretty good too! And, if you do happen to have leftovers just put them in an airtight container. You can keep them out on the counter for several days that way, or pop them in the freezer. They’ll keep beautifully!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt 
2 cups all-purpose flour 
1/4 cup ice water 
2 tablespoons butter 
1 cup strawberries hulled, and diced 
1 cup rhubarb, diced
1/4 cup white sugar 
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 
1 large egg 
1 tablespoon water 
Icing sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a baking sheet.

2.) Combine flour, salt and butter and mix together until it starts to resemble small peas. Add 1/4 cup of ice water, very slowly, and mix just until a dough forms. Cover loosely and set dough aside.

3.) Melt two tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add strawberries, rhubarb, and cinnamon and cook just until softened, about 5 minutes.

4.) Add white sugar to strawberry mixture and stir until sugar is dissolved and any juices from the fruit begin to thicken, about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

5.) Roll dough into 1/8″ thickness and cut into 12 rounds with a 4″ cookie cutter, or the top of a glass.

6.) Place dough rounds onto greased baking sheets. Top half of each round with a tablespoon of strawberry mixture. Fold opposite end of dough over strawberries and seal with hands or fork.

7.) Cut one small slit in the top of each pie to allow steam to vent.

8.) Combine egg and 1 tablespoon of water well. Brush on top of each pie.

9.) Place pies in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. When ready, remove from oven and allow to sit for two minutes before sprinkling with icing sugar.

10.) Serve and enjoy!

Cheese String Bites

Originally published on June 30, 2012

Would you believe that I had to make these three times before I could get a picture of them? (And even still, I’m sorry the quality of the pic isn’t so good.)

The first time I made them, I had taken them from Pinterest where the author had said to only coat them in milk (no actual breading) and cook them for 8 – 10 minutes. When they came out of the oven my mother called them “little cheese pancakes with bread crumbs throughout” because they completely melted. Everyone still said that they were very good, but I tried them. And they weren’t.

Making some adjustments to the recipe, I fully breaded them, and stuck them in the freezer for a few minutes (on my mother’s suggestion) and only cooked them for a few minutes. They were delicious! Perfect little mozza bites that were crispy on the outside and melted in your mouth. They were so good in fact, that they were all eaten before I could get a picture!

So I made a third batch, exactly the same way I made the second and snapped a pic before serving them. Paige, who’s crazy for cheese sticks, loved them! And I did, too. They’re a great snack, especially if you can sneak in some whole wheat bread crumbs while you’re at it!

Ingredients:

4 Cheese Strings, cut into 1″ – 2″ pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour 
2 eggs, lightly beaten 
1 cup breadcrumbs 
1 – 2 tablespoons canola oil
Salt

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Set up a breading station: place the flour in one bowl, the lightly beaten eggs in a bowl next to it, and the bread crumbs in a bowl next to them.

3.) Toss a few of the Cheesestring bites into the flour and toss to ensure that they are thoroughly coated in the flour. Lift them out one at a time and shake off the excess flour. Drop them into the eggs and turn them so that the bites are thoroughly coated in the flour and the egg, and then drop them in the breadcrumbs. Lift them out and shake off the excess breadcrumbs. Repeat with all of the Cheesestring bites, placing them on a baking sheet as they’re finished.

4.) When all of the Cheesestring bites are breaded and on the baking sheet, place the baking sheet in the freezer for 3 – 5 minutes.

5.) When bites come out of the freezer, drizzle with canola oil and place in the oven for 3 minutes. Keep a very careful eye on them to make sure that they don’t melt. Remove just as they starting to turn crispy golden brown.

6.) Remove from oven and lightly sprinkle with salt.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Flank Steak Pinwheels

Originally published on August 20, 2012

One of my favourite things on earth is the combination of blue cheese and steak, and that’s why I chose to stuff my pinwheels with gorgeous creamy Danish blue cheese. And well, spinach and red peppers just seemed like a natural fit to go along with those two ingredients. I was right – they are! I can’t begin to describe how much flavour is in these wonderful little meat wheels and if you don’t like my combo, you can put whatever you want inside yours.

These are also pretty easy to make, as long as you don’t go into it thinking that pounding that steak out is only going to take a couple of minutes (as I unfortunately did.) Don’t be intimidated to flip them mid-bake either. It does seem a little scary at first, but they’ll hold together okay.

Ingredients:

1 flank steak
1 jar sliced roasted red peppers, drained
1 1/2 cups blue cheese
3 cups baby spinach, plus 1 for garnish
3 tablespoons olive oil 
Salt
Black pepper

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Lay the flank steak out flat between two sheets of parchment paper. With a rolling pin, gently pound the steak until it’s about 1/4″ thick. It will take about 20 minutes, but make sure you do not tear the steak, just pound it to an even thinness.

3.) Once the steak has been pounded to the desired thinness, spread 3 cups of baby spinach over the entire surface of the steak. Then top with blue cheese, and then red peppers. Then, start rolling the steak. Begin with the long edge and roll it as tightly in on itself as you can, tucking the edge underneath itself and then continuing to roll. Roll the entire steak this way, tucking and rolling as tightly as you can along the way. This will help the pinwheel keep its shape as it cooks.

4.) Once the entire steak has been rolled, make sure that the seam is on the bottom, flipping if needed. Then very carefully, slice the steak into pinwheels that are 1″ thick. As you slice each one, place it on a baking sheet, cut-side up, and then continue slicing the next one.

5.) After all the steak has been sliced and placed on the baking tray, drizzle the surface with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Then, turn pinwheels carefully onto their other side and bake for another 10 minutes.

6.) When pinwheels are finished cooking, remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

7.) Serve on a bed of spinach, and enjoy!

Caramel Apples

Originally published on January 1, 2014

I know, I know. Halloween is over, so why am I posting a recipe for caramel apples on New Year’s Day? Because today is also Apple Gifting Day. I don’t know the origin behind this food holiday, and a quick Google search only told me about the “12 Days of Christmas” that had Apple the company giving out freebies (wish I’d known about that a bit sooner.) But if I were to receive an apple as a gift today, I’d like to receive it in the form of a caramel apple. And if you want to give the gift of an apple today, these are really easy to make. In fact, they’re so easy, I feel kind of bad even calling this a recipe.

Ingredients:

1 pound (probably about 25 to 30) individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped 
6 apples of any red variety 
2 tablespoons milk 
3 bamboo skewers

Directions:

1.) Scrub apples thoroughly and make sure they are completely dry. Cut bamboo skewers in half, snipping off the sharp end.

2.) Place caramels and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the caramels are fully melted and combined with the milk. This will take a few minutes; be patient. The caramel will soften and melt.

3.) Place one bamboo skewer into the bottom of each apple (the place where you can see the tip of the core.) Tilt the saucepan so that the caramel pools over onto one side, then roll one apple around in it, until it is completely coated. If the caramel is not thick enough it will not stick to the apple entirely, so add more caramels if you find that’s happening with yours.

4.) Place the apple on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and place in the fridge for 15 minutes. This will help the caramel firm up and set. Don’t let the apples touch each other, or the caramel will peel off one, and onto the other.

5.) Serve and enjoy.

Happy New Year’s everyone!!!

Flour Tortillas

Originally published on January 2, 2014

This was one of those recipes that was born from necessity. I didn’t have any bread in the house, but I needed something for the girls’ lunches – and there was no time to go shopping to pick up more. I could have just made my go-to sourdough bread, but why not try my hand at wraps if I’m actually going to make something? After all, I love new things to try in the kitchen, and I love a challenge. Turns out, I only got one of those with these, as they were super easy to make! The recipe I used said that if you’re “not used to making these,” you should have two people – one to cook them while one rolls the other out. Well, it was me by my lonesome, but I thought, ‘Really? Do I need two people?’ Nope! Just start by rolling a couple out so they’re ready to hit that pan, and then continue rolling as you go. If you do think you’re getting behind, just move the pan off the heat so the dough doesn’t burn as soon as it hits. Trust me, the cast iron (and yes, you really should use a cast-iron) will still be piping hot for the minute it will take you to roll out more.

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 – 6 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cups warm water (approximately)

Directions:

1.) In a food processor blend together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend until the ingredients are just combined and then remove the lid and pinch some together with your fingertips. If the ingredients hold their shape when squeezed slightly, it’s perfect. If the mixture crumbles even after pinching, you either don’t have enough shortening or it’s not mixed together well. If it forms a hard clump, you need less shortening – it’s really hard to get out of there though, so just add a bit more flour to fix the ratio.

2.) Replace the lid onto the processor and then add the water all at once. Mix the dough quickly once the water has been added.

3.) Dump the contents of the processor into a large bowl, moving it around the sides of the processor to pick up any excess flour as you do. Once in the bowl, knead it by folding it and pushing it down, and then folding again about twelve times, or until the dough is soft and no longer sticky.

4.) Cover the bowl and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes. This step is important, as it will let any excess flour absorb back into the dough, which will give you a softer tortilla after cooking.

5.) Once your dough has rested, begin pinching off small balls that are about 1 inch in diameter. Knead each of these balls just by placing them in one palm, folding it over with your fingers, and repeating until it’s in the shape of a flat disk. Place it to one side of the bowl, or on a generously floured surface and repeat with the remaining dough.

6.) When the entire large bowl of dough has been pinched off into smaller balls, cover the small balls with a tea towel and allow to rest for another 10 minutes. This will make them easier to roll.

7.) On a well-floured surface, roll out the small balls into tortillas. To keep a round shape, roll once, turn 1/4 of a turn, roll again, and repeat until the entire ball has been rolled. Don’t worry if they’re not completely round; homemade often means rustic-looking, after all!

8.) Heat a cast iron skillet on top of the stove at medium-high heat. Let it get really piping hot! Lightly drizzle a bit of canola oil over it and wipe the surface thoroughly with a paper towel so they don’t stick.

9.) Place one rolled tortilla onto the cast iron skillet and cook for just about 30 seconds. Don’t let it burn or you’ll have to wash the skillet and start all over again. Admire the beauty of it as it puffs up and starts to become a bona fide tortilla right before your eyes! Then flip and cook for another 30 seconds.

10.) When one tortilla is finished cooking, remove it from the heat right away and wrap it in a tea towel to keep warm. Start cooking another tortilla, placing it right on top of the other when other and re-wrapping in the towel. Don’t worry about the finished tortillas sticking to each other like I did – they won’t!

11.) Serve as soft tacos, sandwich wraps, tortilla chips (when fried,) or anything else you’d like, and enjoy!