Onion Gravy

Here is a gravy that pairs perfectly with Salisbury steak, meatballs or schnitzel. And one can never go wrong by smothering mashed potatoes with a spoonful of onion gravy!  

• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups liquid (water, meat juice or broth)
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
• salt, to taste

1. Cook onion in oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat, until onion is softened and browned, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Add  minced garlic and saute for another minute or two.
3. Sprinkle flour over the onions and continue to cook, stirring, for several minutes.
4. Gradually stir in broth, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper. 
5. Simmer (stirring often) until gravy is slightly thickened.
6. Season with salt.

 

Thai Linguine

We have enjoyed this Thai dish several times over the past few months.  I think you will too!

• 12 ounces linguine
• 1 pound chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons oriental sesame oil, divided use
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 cup thinly sliced red peppers
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar (or use white vinegar)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup chicken broth

1. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Transfer pasta to large bowl; add 2 tablespoons sesame oil and toss to coat.
2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat.  
3. Stir fry chicken pieces and remove to separate plate.
4. Add green onions, garlic, and ginger and red peppers; saute until red peppers soften, about 2 minutes. 
5. Add honey, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, chicken broth and pepper flakes; whisk to blend. 
6. Simmer sauce for several minutes.
   Pour over pasta and toss to coat. 
7. Transfer to platter; sprinkle with remaining green onions.

Chicken Noodle Soup (made easy)

There's nothing quite like homemade chicken noodle soup to cure whatever may ail you. (And it seems that in January there are many who are 'ailing'!)  If the thought of cooking up stock and making your own noodles is a little daunting, here's a short-cut recipe that is delicious and doesn't take long to cook up! 

• 1 rotisserie chicken
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 or two cloves garlic, minced
• 10 cups chicken stock (store-bought or homemade)
• 350 gr / 3/4 pound noodles (I used fresh linguine from the deli, cut into 2 or 3-inch pieces)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 star anise* 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Remove the meat from the rotisserie chicken; cut into bite size pieces and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium heat.  Add the onions, celery, and carrots, and saute until onions begin to turn translucent. Add garlic and saute for another minute or so.
3. Pour the 10 cups chicken stock into the stock pot. Add bay leaf, star anise and parsley and simmer over medium-high heat for about 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cook noodles in a separate pot according to directions...being sure not to overcook.  Drain.
5. Add chicken pieces and noodles to the soup pot.  Test and adjust seasonings as needed.  Heat through and serve.

*star anise is optional, but gives a wonderful exotic flavour to the soup.

Serves 6-8

Hot Pizza Dip

Think of this as a pizza without the dough!  Combine all your favorite pizza ingredients in a hot dip and serve with taco chips, crackers or breadsticks. It is easy to prepare in advance and keep refrigerated.  And with New Year's Eve coming up...this may be just the recipe you need. 

• 8oz / 250g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 3/4 cup pizza sauce (your favorite...but we like it 'hot'!)
• pepperoni, small pieces
• 1 bell pepper, chopped (red, green or yellow or a combination of colours)
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Blend cream cheese, sour cream and seasonings.
2. Spread in a 9" pie plate or quiche pan.
3. Spread pizza sauce over base.
4. Top with pepperoni pieces and chopped peppers.
5. Spread cheese over top.
6. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and edges are golden. 

Salted Toffee Pretzel Bark

It's Flashback Friday and I'm bringing back a quick and simple holiday treat that is a favorite over here. If you like a toffee and chocolate combination with a touch of salt...this is for you. It's not too late to add this to your Christmas baking list.  Truth is...if you make it today you may need to make another batch by Christmas!
 

• 1 bag mini pretzels (you will need 4 or 5 cups)
• 1 cup butter (the real thing)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 340 gr / 12 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
• Sea salt (optional)

1. Line 11 x 17 inch bar pan with parchment paper.
2. Cover the bottom with a layer of pretzels.
3. Combine butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a full boil while stirring.
4. Pour carefully over the pretzels.
5. Place in a 350° F oven for 8 minutes, or until bubbly all over.
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips.
7. Let sit for a minute to melt the chocolate. 
8. Then smooth surface with a spatula.
9. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired.
10. Cool to room temperature.
11. Place in freezer for 10-15 minutes to harden chocolate topping.
12. Remove from the pan and break into bite sized portions.  

* These can easily be cut into bars as well.  Lift the hardened confection onto a cutting board and cut into bars using a sharp knife or pizza cutter.

Peppermint Pretties

This is one of those recipes that 'happened by mistake'...and has become an annual favorite.  We were served these tasty little peppermint morsels at a Christmas open-house many years ago.  The hostess kindly gave out the recipe. I thought I had copied it out wrong since the butter was missing...so I added half a cup of butter. The cookies were delightful and I have made them every Christmas since.  I later discovered that there really was no butter in the original version...but I'm sticking to my updated recipe.  Everything tastes better with butter.  Right?  These freeze well and taste great straight from the freezer.

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Cream softened butter and sugar.
2. Add cream, egg and peppermint extract; beat until smooth.
3. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Chill dough for at least one hour.
5. Roll out to about 1/4" thick and cut with tiny cookie cutters.
6. Bake at 350°F for 5-6 or until bottoms begin to brown.
7. Drizzle with peppermint frosting. (For pale green icing add food colouring.)
8. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes, if desired.

 Peppermint Frosting:

• 1/4 cup soft butter
• 2 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

1. Beat softened butter until smooth and creamy. 
2. Add powdered sugar, milk and peppermint extract. Beat until smooth.
3. Add a little more milk if necessary in order to drizzle the icing.

Yield: 10 dozen 1 1/2" cookies.

*Tip ~ Put icing into a Ziploc bag, snip the corner and drizzle over the cookies.

Have you done any Christmas baking yet? 

Ice-cream Blizzard cake

We celebrated birthdays over here on the weekend...with an ice-cream cake for each of the grands that had a birthday last week. A chocolate ice-cream pizza for Micah...a mud-pie for Emme and a 'cookies-and-cream' ice-cream cake for Spencer.  The thing about ice-cream cakes is that they are easy to make ahead...and store in the freezer until party-time. 

Today's recipe is an ice-cream cake that I made for the grands 'yesteryear'.  It combines chocolate cake and ice-cream blizzard...and is wrapped in whipped topping.

• 1 chocolate cake mix
• 1 liter / quart premium vanilla ice-cream, slightly softened
• 1/2 cup milk
• Skor bits (1 cup, or to taste)
• Cool Whip topping

1. Mix cake mix according to instructions on package and bake in two 9-inch round pans.  Cool completely. (This is enough for two ice-cream cakes.)
2. Line a 9-inch cake pan with plastic wrap. 
3. In heavy-duty blender, combine the ice-cream and milk.  This works best doing 1/2 at a time. *
4. Pulse to blend until thick and uniform.
5. Add Skor bits and pulse just until combined.
6. Pack into prepared cake pan, leveling the surface.
7. Freeze until firm.

To Assemble:

1. Cut chocolate cake in half horizontally and place bottom on a round base.
2. Place frozen ice-cream layer on top of cake base.
3. Center top piece of cake on ice-cream layer.
4. Pop into the freezer and freeze until firm.

Decorate:

1. Frost entire cake with a layer of cool whip.
2. Use additional whipped topping in a pastry bag to decorate as you wish.
3. Write message on cake with melted chocolate or chocolate icing.
4. Store in freezer for up to a few weeks.
5. Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving. 

That is the general method for making a yummy ice-cream cake at home.  I made two blizzard cakes at the same time...one with Skor bits and the other with crushed oreo cookies.  Who said ice-cream was only good in the summer?