Easy Tortellini Casserole

Here's a simple casserole...perfect for Sunday lunch or a quick company dinner. It can be served as a meatless dish...or include meat of your choice.

Ingredients:

• 1 350 gram pkg. Olivieri Cheese Tortellini (or use herb and cheese)
• 1 each red, green and yellow pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 onion, sliced or chopped
• 1 jar 700 ml. Classico pasta sauce (spicy red pepper is great)
• 1 - 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (I like to add a little Parmesan as well)
• 1 pound farmer sausage, sliced diagonally (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions.
2. Stir fry veggies until tender crisp.
3. Add to cooked, drained pasta...along with pasta sauce.
4. Stir together and put into casserole dish.
5. Top with grated cheese.
6. Cook at 350°F for 30-40...covering until near the end.

*If you are adding sausage, saute and stir in before putting into casserole dish.

Serve with a green salad and enjoy the taste of home-cooked Italian without a whole lot of home-cooking.

*Note ~ The Olivieri pasta is a Canadian product...but use your favorite fresh tortellini. Canadian products are sold by metric measure...metric conversion tables are readily available on-line, although measures aren't too important in this dish.

Warm Caramel Bananas

This has been one of our favorite company desserts over the past few years...a recipe I pulled from a Kraft Canada advertisement some time ago. If you like bananas...and warm caramel sauce...this one is for you!


Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 medium bananas
• 1/2 cup peanuts
• 1 square semi-sweet melted chocolate, melted (optional)
• whipped cream or premium ice-cream

Directions:

1. Melt butter in large skillet on medium heat. Add sugar, cook until melted stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low. Gradually stir in sour cream...cook 1 minute stirring occasionally.
2. Cut bananas in half lengthwise; cut each piece crosswise in half. Place banana slices, cut sides down, in skillet. Cook 1 minute or until bananas are softened, basting occasionally with the sauce in bottom of skillet.
3. Spoon bananas evenly into four dessert dishes. Top with sauce. Sprinkle with peanuts. Top with a dollop of whipped cream...or a scoop of premium vanilla ice-cream. Drizzle with chocolate...if desired.

Note: To melt chocolate, microwave 1 unwrapped square chocolate in microwaveable bowl on MEDIUM for 2 minutes...stirring after 1 minute. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

Butter Tart Squares

We are celebrating Thanksgiving in Canada today...enjoying turkey with stuffing and serving pumpkin pie for dessert. Although there won't likely be room for butter tart squares on today's menu...they are a perfect all-Canadian fall treat. Butter tarts are unique to Canada...a rich shortbread crust with a creamy caramel raisin and nut filling. Here is a recipe for butter tarts made easy...the square version.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Topping:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preparation:

Combine flour and sugar. With pastry blender, cut in butter until crumbly. Press into cookie sheet (10" x 15"). Bake at 350° F for 15 minutes.

Topping:

1. Mix together butter and sugar.
2. Blend in eggs.
3. Add flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla.
4. Stir in raisins and pecans.
5. Pour over base.
6. Bake at 350° F for 20 to 25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched.
7. Allow to cool...then cut into squares.

If you can't finish off the whole pan at once...they freeze well and even taste great partially frozen!

Caramel Apple Cake

Autumn and apples...they go together perfectly.  We have our favorite apple dishes at this time of year...and one of them is caramel apple cake.  The apple cake is an old family recipe...the caramel icing comes from the 'Taste of Home' collection. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1-1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups coarsely grated peeled apples
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped walnuts – optional

  Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine oil and sugars.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Combine dry ingredients; add to batter stir well.
4. Fold in apples, walnuts and vanilla.
5. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan or 10 inch tube pan (or twelve mini-bundt pans).
6. Bake at 350 for about 1 hour or until cake tests done (30 minutes for mini-bundts).
7. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Caramel Icing Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup light cream
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• dash salt
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• chopped walnuts, optional

 Directions:

1. In microwave oven (or top of double-boiler), heat brown sugar, cream, butter and salt until sugar is dissolved.
2. Cool to room temperature.
3. Beat in confectioner's sugar until smooth; drizzle over cake.
4. Sprinkle with nuts if desired…or stir nuts into icing before spreading.
5. Yield: 12-16 servings.

Apple Cinnamon Puffs

This recipe came from my sister-in-law many years ago...who happened to live in an apple orchard and served up the best apple dishes to all who stopped by. I have made it on many occasions over the years...at times in large pans to feed a crowd.

Ingredients:

• 6 large tart apples
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon red food colouring (optional)

Directions:

1. Peel and thinly slice apples.
2. Place in a 9" x 12" greased baking dish.
3. Combine water, sugar and colouring and boil to a syrup (about 5 minutes) over medium heat.
4. Pour over sliced apples.
5. Top with cinnamon puffs (directions below) and bake at 375° for about 30 minutes.
6. Serve warm with premium vanilla ice-cream.

Cinnamon Puffs:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Cut in butter with pastry blender to form crumbs.
3. Stir in milk to make a soft dough.
4. Drop by spoonfuls on top of apples.
5. Combine melted butter, sugar and cinnamon for topping.
6. Make a dent in the top of each puff and spoon on a little topping.

Notes:  If the apples are rather slow-cooking, I place the pan in the oven for some fifteen or twenty minutes to pre-cook before topping with the cinnamon puffs.

Fruit Torte Sheet Cake

With fresh fruit readily available at this time of year...here is a fairly simple way to prepare a fresh fruit torte for a large group. I was given this recipe by my friend Wendy several decades ago...and have prepared it just as it is many times.

Ingredients:

• 1 Angel Food Cake Mix
• Fresh Fruit (peaches, blackberries and raspberries...or add strawberries, blueberries and kiwi)
• glaze
• whipping cream

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups fruit juice (peach, pineapple, etc.)
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method:

• Mix cake according to directions; spread in sheet cake sized pan (lined with parchment paper) and bake for 15 minutes. Cool. Remove from pan.
• Prepare glaze by combining ingredients and microwaving on Medium/High until thickened and clear...stirring every minute. Cool.
• Spread half of glaze on base.
• Arrange sliced fruit on glaze-topped cake.
• Spread with remaining glaze.
• Refrigerate.
• Serve with whipped cream. Optional Method #2 : When making fruit flans in round pans, I always add a custard layer...and so I decided to use the same custard as a base for the fruit on the sheet cake. Spread custard over sheet cake...top with fruit...spread with glaze...decorate as desired. Custard:
• 1 package vanilla pudding and pie filling (3 1/4 oz.)
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 500 ml. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Method:

1. Cook vanilla pudding according to directions.
2. Cool slightly, then beat in softened cream cheese until smooth.
3. Cool completely.
4. Fold in whipped cream. This custard is enough for two fruit flans...it stores well in the freezer.

Enjoy!

Dill Pickles

Homemade dill pickles...just like the ones my mother used to make...are on my 'to do' list every summer. There's just something about homemade dills that can't be found on the storeshelf! This is my mom's recipe...the same pickles I grew up with.


Ingredients:

• 10 pounds of pickling cukes (yield about 8 jars)
• 5 cups white vinegar used for pickling
• 13 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup pickling salt…coarse
• garlic pieces (peeled and cut in half)…two pieces per jar
• fresh dill
• small dried red chili peppers…one or two pieces for each jar

Method:

1. Wash cucumbers well...and leave in tub of cold water while packing jars.
2. Mix vinegar, water, sugar and the salt in a large pot. Stir the mixture well. Heat to a rapid boil on medium-high….then keep simmering while filling jars.
3. Prepare wide-mouth 1-quart jars. In each jar, put 1 piece of garlic, one head of dill, two small chili peppers and then enough cucumbers to fill the jar. Then add one more garlic piece and another sprig of dill.
4. Fill jars slowly with the hot brine and seal (being sure to clean all residue from the top of the rim of the jar first).
5. Place the lidded jars in boiling water bath for about 15 minutes…water in canner should cover the tops of the jars.
6. The pickles should be stored in a cool place for two months before serving. (So they say...I’m not sure we ever waited that long!)
   
   *If your water is hard, high in mineral content or has chlorine added, use bottled water.
   ** Pack the cukes into the jars really tight…they shrink as they are processed.

If you like a little zip to your pickles...be generous with the red chili peppers!

Enjoy!