These are such great recipes!

Caroline -- I picked up your photo from the other thread. It looks great posted.

So....I encourage photos. Even if you don't have one right now, I can go back to the recipe and add it later. Just use the thread and tell me to go back and add it to the recipe.

Thanks!
Cameron

Annette -- I'm doing fine pulling the recipes as they are.

The only other thing is I read your Welsh Cakes and thought about what labels to use ...bread, cakes, scones (similar), dessert, etc. to help folks find the recipe.

So, if you think giving of the label you want, just put it at the very bottom of the recipe.

Thanks

Cameron, Put the welsh cakes wherever they fit best, maybe with the scones?

Annette

Brown Rice

1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms or 1 small can
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 stick butter
1 can Campbell's Beef Consommé
1 can Campbell's Beef Broth
1 cup uncooked rice
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Mix all ingredients in casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Quick, easy and Delicious!

faye

Thank you Cameron. Can you change out the pic of the Challah for this one? It is a better one.

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French Pear Bread (Piquenchagne)

Pears:
2 med. fresh pears
1/2 water
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp cardamom

Dough:
1 pkg dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp.)(dissolve in 1/2 c warm water)
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp oil
2 tsp salt
2 eggs room temp.
4-5 c. unbleached flour approx.

Peel,core and dice pears and cook with water and spices 10-15 min til soft. and water is gone. If too much juice, boil down and add back to cooked pears. Mash with a fork til smooth.

Put pears, yeast mixture ,oil,honey,salt and eggs in large bowl and stir to blend. Add 2c flour and beat 50 strokes. Add enough of rest of flour to make a soft kneadable dough. Dough should stay soft but not sticky, don't add too much flour when kneading. Place in greased bowl and cover w/ plastic wrap, let rise til double, approx 1 hr. To shape dough into couronne (crowns) : when dough has risen remove from bowl and gently shape into 2 balls. Take each ball and make a hole in the center and gently pull against the sides to form a 3" opening ( like a large bagel!) Place each crown on a greased baking sheet. May use parchment paper. Let rise til double approx 1 hr. Brush with 1 Tbsp milk beaten into 1 egg yolk. Take a razor and circle the top with a cut a 1/2" deep .Bake in a preheated oven 350 degrees for 40 min. should sound hollow when tapped.

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Cameron I went back and found Solana's recipe for Raspberry vinegar. The search function isn't working very well right now but I finally found it. Scroll down the page a bit to find it. Do you think she would mind if we include it?

This vinegar is so good I've only have one bottle left. Our kids were all here over the holidays and after having a taste they almost cleaned me out. I've whisked up a very tasty salad dressing with it, it probably would be good drizzled over ice cream and DS1 thinks it would be good in a vodka martini :o)

Annette

Here is a link that might be useful: Raspberry Vinegar

Hey Cameron , the format for the recipes looks wonderful. The pics show up as "?" and then when you click that it just goes to photobucket . Here is the link and the number of each pic:

0503-challah
0781-pear bread
1588-granola

Let me know if there is something I am messing up. Thanks for doing such a huge job. Caroline

Here is a link that might be useful: Food pics

Caroline, when I bring up the blog, I see the photos, just like here. I'll see if my DH can go to the blog on his Mac so I can troubleshoot the problem. For now, I'll just embed the code directly from your Photobucket album. Thanks for the link. The photos are large -- I'll figure that out one day!

Annette, I included the raspberry vinegar. Sounds great!

You know, I'm counting calories and now I'm reading the recipes for all the wonderful foods that I can't have right now! LOL

Cameorn

Oh I didn't think about resize...I will do it from now on when I post. I'm sorry to be a "pill". c

I agree, wonderful blog...and very nice recipes

What a great idea. I have been visiting the Cooking Forum regularly and now we have our own, Thank you.

Here is a contribution. It is our favorite bread.Honey Oat and Wheat Bread
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from Hodgson Mill Bread Book

2 pkgs yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105°)

2-1/2 cups warm water
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups Oat Bran Hot Cereal
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup margarine (I use butter)
6 cups Hodgson Mill 50/50 flour
1 egg
2 cups Hodgson Mill best for bread flour
shortening to coat bowl and 3 bread pans.

My Change:

1 cup 7 grain rolled and Flaked Mix
1/2 cup cracked wheat
Soaked in the 2-1/2 cups of hot water
Increase salt to 2 teaspoons

This replaced the 1-1/2 cups Oat Bran Cereal

Add yeast to half cup warm water. Let stand 10 minutes.

Combine lukewarm water, oat bran cereal, honey, melted margarine. Here is where I
bring water to a boil to soak my 7-grain and cracked wheat. Let stand until cool.

Add 2 cups 50/50 flour and mix well (you may use mixer). To this mixture add the egg
and softened yeast, mix well. Add remaining flours to make a soft dough. Turn onto a
lightly floured board and knead 10 minutes or use dough hook on mixer for 4 minutes .
Put in greased bowl turning once to coat top. cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise in
a warm draft-free lace until doubled about l hour.

Knead down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Diving into three equal
portions and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape into loaves and place in greased loaf pans, let
raise for about 1 hour until dough reaches tops of pans.

Preheat over during this time to 375°. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Remove bread from pans
immediately and let cool on wire racks.

Cameron,
In my Brown Rice recipe I forgot to state that it should be baked in a covered casserole dish. Could you please add that bit of information to your Blog page.

Sorry. I was having a senior moment.

faye

Caroline -- I'm liking the big photos! Yummy! LOL

Faye -- got it.

Gldno1 -- please make sure the beautiful bread photo is showing up in the blog correctly. I can see it just fine from my computer.

GREEN BEANS WITH SHALLOTS & MUSHROOMS

This is something I throw together for DH and myself so I'll give you the amounts I use for two.

Fresh Green Beans for two
I large Shallot minced
4 fresh Mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp. of Olive Oil
1/2 cup of water

In a large skillet saute minced shallot until soft, add sliced mushroom saute for a few minutes more, add beans and water.
Put a lid on cook until Beans are done to your liking. Take the lid off continue cooking until the water has disappeared.

Annette

Cameron, I got the picture just fine. Thanks. I am loving this and the blog. I want to try the scones soon.

Mmmmm! These recipes look so delicious. Now two of my loves have combined. I want to jump into the computer and eat the beautiful baked goods. Anyone have some good recipies for the herbs I'm planting this summer? I'm trying a whole smattering of the ones I've heard of before.

Squirrel girl

SG, What are you planning to grow ? I am hoping we can direct our recipe collections to the seasons as we move through each one. So winter stuff now,...soups and breads ,casseroles etc and then in the Spring fresh greens and the new herbs etc. So keep us posted as to what you are growing. c

Hello, SquirrelGirl, your arugula (young leaves) will be excellent in sandwiches and salads. More mature leaves can be cooked as one would do with any dark, leafy garden greens--good in stews or pots of beans. BTW, arugula self-seeds very readily, and can winter over depending upon how severe one's climate is. It is always the first thing I am able to harvest each year.

Lorna

Make these herbal ice cubes in the summertime, when the bounty is plentiful and fresh!!! So convenient and easy-- just pop a frozen cube (or two) into your favorite soup or sauce or whatever, and voila! May use olive oil in place of the water. Recipe is from another web site.

Herbal Ice Cubes

herbs, of choice (basil, chives, cilantro, fennel, lovage, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme, et)
boiling water

1. Mince herb (s) of choice.
2. Pack minced herb (s) into an ice cube tray, each 3/4 full.
3. Fill with boiling water, (this will blanch the herbs before freezing and will help them retain their flavor and color).
4. Once the herbal ice cubes are frozen, you can pop them out of their tray and into freezer bags for storage.
5. Use as needed.

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All the recipes sound wonderful. Like you Cameron, I'm trying to watch what I eat these days, so I'm posting this recipe for stuffed zucchini which is easy on the calories. My family L-O-V-E-s zucchini done this way!!

Roasted zucchini stuffed with tomato, onion, garlic and cheese

Makes 4 servings as an accompaniment

Ingredients
2 pounds small to midsize zucchini
1/2 cup Japanese breadcrumbs (or substitute unseasoned breadcrumbs)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup grated Emmenthal cheese (or grated fresh parmeasian cheese)
3 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped basil
zest of 1 lemon
salt & pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Split the zucchini in half. With a spoon scrape out the seeds, digging a trough in the center of the zucchini. Blanch the zucchini in salted water until just soft, but the color still remains (about 6 to 8 minutes). Refresh in cold water. Pat dry with a towel.
For the filling: Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan. Sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic. Remove from heat. Add tomato, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, fresh herbs and grated cheese. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Place the filling down the center of the zucchini. Place the zucchini on a nonstick baking tray and roast in the oven until the topping is lightly brown (about 12 - 15 minutes).
Serve as a nice side dish with grilled meats or fish, or as an appetizer with a green salad.

Cameron: There is a picture of this at the Victory Garden site where I got the recipe from but I don't know how to attach the picture. I will link to the site and maybe you can do your magic.

Here is a link that might be useful: Picture

Here's a photo of the Welsh Cakes, I've been smacking fingers until we took a picture :o)

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These were made in a non-stick skillet no need to grease and they were cooked on med-low heat.

Annette

Vikki -- I can't grab a photo from another website. Sorry.

Annette -- I added the Welsh cakes.

Thanks!

Cameron,
Can you make this work?
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Vikki

I'd prefer to just use photos taken by CGers.

When a recipe is from another source, I think that as long as we cite the source, that's okay. It may be okay with photos, but I've seen some issues in the past when folks grabbed photos from other websites.

Thanks,
Cameron

Annette, I am absolutely shocked to see you posting Welsh Cakes! Are you Welsh? It is my heritage, hence my name, Glynis.
The only people I know who make these are my own family both in Canada and Wales. When I ate flour, these wouldn't last very long! YUM! Especially of course with tea. In our house it would be Welsh Cakes one week Bara brith the next.

girlgroupgirl

Glynis, both my parents were born in England but both families immigrated to Canada when my parents were very young, this was a recipe handed down from my grandmother along with the Bread Sauce and the Bread & Butter Dressing I stuff chicken and turkey with today. My grand mother made a wonderful trifle as well, could it be because of the bottle of brandy that was kept in the cupboard for medicinal purposes :o). She also made a very delicious Melton Mowbray Pork Pie which I sure wish I had the recipe for now.

Annette

Ooops, I hit the send key too soon, Glynis what are Bara brith? have you got a recipe? a.

English Trifle (dessert)

This dessert has six layers. It should be made in a deep glass bowl so that the layers are visible.

-half of a stale pound cake (same premise as when making bread pudding)
-raspberry preserves
-one recipe of vanilla pudding, or one package of vanilla pudding (reduce milk by 1/4 cup if using package pudding)
-thick cream for whipping, 1 pint
-1/2 cup of powdered sugar
-about one cup of sherry, or rum
-package of sliced almonds--toast them lightly

Slice pound cake in 1/4" slices. Cut each slice in half. Spread half with raspberry preserves, put other half on top--like sandwiches. Layer half of your cake sandwiches in the bottom of a glass bowl. Drench with about half a cup of sherry or rum--enough to moisten well. Pour on half of your pudding.

Whip cream with powdered sugar until stiff. This will be your third layer.

Place half of the whipped cream on top of the layers you are building. Put down another layer of cake sandwiches, drench with half cup of rum or sherry, layer on the remainder of your pudding, and carefully spread on the remaining whipped cream. Refrigerate for several hours so flavors can blend. Top with toasted sliced almonds when ready to serve.

*Might not want to serve this to children due to the alcohol content.

Lorna

Cameron,
You know it dawned on me after I posted the picture that it probably wasn't a good idea to use a picture from a web site. I'll just have to take a picture of the zucchini next time I make it. Thanks for the reminder.
Vikki

In honor of Chinese New Year we had these last night:

Cha Siu Bow (Baked Barbecue Pork Buns)

Cantonese Barbecued Pork:

Marinade:

1/4 c light soy sauce
1/4 c dark soy sauce
1/4 c honey
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sherry or Scotch (optional)
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp grated fresh gingerroot
1/2 tsp 5 spice powder
4# boneless pork spareribs, boston butt,loin or tenderloin

Honey glaze:
3Tbsp honey
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp Asian sesame oil

Combine all of marinade ingred. and heat til sugar melted. Cool to room temp. Cut pork into strips 2" wide x 1 1/2"thick x 4 " long. Place in a large plastic bag with marinade and massage bag to coat meat and place in refrigerator at least overnight or up to 3 days. Bring to room temp. after draining off marinade. Discard marinade.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place a rack over a roasting pan and put 1/2 " boiling water in roasting pan. Place meat strips on rack and roast 15 min., turn meat and roast 15 min. Make glaze and and brush meat strips and finish roasting about 1 -2 min. til edges charred. Remove from oven and let rest 15 min. before slicing. May be served as is or use 1# for pork buns.

Pork buns:

Filling:

stir together:
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
1/2 c water
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp sugar.

Preheat a wok or deep skillet: add 1 Tbsp peanut oil and then 1 small yellow onion diced and 2 green onions chopped and 1 tsp grated gingerroot. Stir for 1 minute and add 1# diced barbecued pork. Stir quickly and add sauce and cook about 30 sec. til thick. Add sesame oil and remove from heat and chill well.

Bread dough:

2 1/2 tsp dry yeast
3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 c warm water
1 c warm milk
3 Tbsp oil
1 egg beaten
3 3/4- 4 c unbleached flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder

Combine yeast and water and 1 Tbsp sugar leave til foamy. Add warm ( not hot) milk and rest of sugar ,oil,salt and egg. Mix well. In bowl or food processor combine 3 3/4 c flour and add liquid while running ( may make as usual by hand for reg. bread dough). Process til smooth , may need to add 1/4 c more flour to make nonsticky dough. Remove from processor and knead lightly for 3 -5 minutes more. This is a fantastic dough and easily made.

Leave in an oiled bowl covered with plastic for 2 hrs til double or overnight in fridge. Remove from bowl and flatten and sprinkle with 2 tsp sifted baking powder. Knead in bp for about 3 minutes till completely mixed in. ( this was quite easy after initial panic). Form into 16 2 oz balls and cover while rolling each ball to a 5 in circle. Place about 1 heaping Tbsp filling in center and pinch up edges and then smooth to a ball. Place on parchment paper and let rise 30 min. Brush with glaze: 1 egg beaten with 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 Tbsp water. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 min. til brown.

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Cameron, Since I'm a born and raised Nanaimo gal I'm attaching a link to the official Nanaimo Bar recipe. There are a lot of recipes for Nanaimo Bars but this is the one I use. It is sooo good. There is also a little history as to how it came to be the official Nanaimo Bar recipe for the city. Can you use this, I wasn't sure.

Annette

Here is a link that might be useful: Nanaimo Bars

Bara brith is a bread with currants. I think it came first, and then Welsh cakes were invented because Bara brith does not keep or transport well as it is flakey and has an odd texture unlike most breads (just like Welsh Cakes are not cake, not cookie and not cake but sort of all of them at the same time, lol). Welsh Cakes could easily be transported and kept without refrigeration in a mine, or on in the mountains while herding sheep.

This link has excellent explanation of the bread. http://foodgloriousfood-toto.blogspot.com/2007/08/bara-brith.html

My family is from South Wales and we always make it without yeast and it is HEAVY. We always used currants, and although all the recipes on the web say to make it spicy, we never had a spice in it! It was very white - my family were poor and there was no way we could use a spice daily like that.

This recipe comes closest:
http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/europe/welsh/bara-brith1.html

I don't have a recipe for this myself as we tried making it wheat free and it won't work, just like Welsh Cakes!

GGG

Thanks for the recipe Glynis, we had welsh cakes with our tea this afternoon :o) I will definitely have to try Bara brith, after reading the ingredients I'm sure my grandmother made this as well, I just never heard what she called it. I take it you're on a gluten free diet, bummer.

Annette

The blog is great! Thanks Cameron

My computer's been in the hospital the past week, due home mid-Feb. I'm limited to library access and ability to get there what with recent ice storms.

I'd been looking for Caroline's ginger without much success (the search engine issues?) and there it is! Can't wait until I can take the time to, ahem, thoroughly digest all the great morsels.

And, of course, I'm flattered that you included my raspberry vinegar.

Ana

Here is the pic of the ginger solano ( Cameron can add it when things start workin' again ! ) I hope you enjoy.

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Photobucket is available again, so I've posted all of the photos now.

I'm glad this is helpful to folks! I've not mentioned this on any other forums. It's up to you folks if you want to let others know that the blog is out there.

Cameron

I'm starting to see some interesting origins here so I'm adding labels (Italian, French, French Canadian, Welsh, etc.).

So, please include the country of origin if you know it.

Are the Nanaimo Bars to be "Canadian" or "British Columbian" or whatever the term is for recipes/people Vancouver are called? Help me! LOL

Thanks
Cameron

I'd love to claim them as British Columbian, but better yet as a Vancouver Island discovery :o), there are similar bars made elsewhere with different names but the name Nanaimo Bar I believe did originate in Nanaimo which is on Vancouver Island which is part of British Columbia. Not much help am I. LOL

Annette

I don't think I mentioned it but the brand of custard powder that we use is Bird's it comes in a can.
If anyone is interested click on the picture on the left of the Nanaimo web page then click on where it says click here you will get to see some of the scenery in and around Nanaimo. The falls at Bowen Park was our swimming hole when we were kids.

Annette

Annette, lets say they are Canuck!!

I'm going to add my recipe that I made today. It is a great Gluten Free chocolate cake and it is from "The Best Ever Wheat And Gluten Free Baking Book".

GF=gluten free. Some products get contaminated in their refining process if the factory makes wheat/gluten grain foods too, so that is why one must be so careful.

Chocolate Dump It Cake

1/2 c. pure GF cocoa powder. If you have Trader Joe's their cocoa is GF
1/2 c. boiling water - mix the water and cocoa together
1 c. cornstarch however, to get more fiber I mixed 1/2 c. cornstarch with 1/2 c. brown rice fiber
1 1/2c potato starch (but again, you can mix flours. I used 1/2 c. brown rice flour and 1c. potato starch and the texture was wonderful!)
1T plus 1 1/2t. baking powder
pinch of salt
1 c. sugar

Mix all this together with the cocoa/water mixture

2 eggs beaten or GF egg replacer (this is excellent to have on hand the egg replacer gives great rise and texture)
1/2 c. canola oil
2 t. vanilla and it needs to be GF (again, Trader Joe's is GF)
21/2 t. xanthanan gum however, if you've mixed your flours and/or used egg replacer you can reduce this to a teaspoon.
1 cup plus more as needed. Dairy free and gluten free milk is Blue Diamond almond milk.

Mix all the wet together, and only add 1 cup of the milk. If your mix is too thick, just add a little more milk. You only have to mix by hand, this is so light and fluffy!

I used two small aluminum $$ store pans with plastic lids which worked well. Preheat to 350 and use 9x13 or two small snack cake pans. I bet two loaf pans would work well too. Grease well with canola oil. Do not use any kind of baking spray, none are gluten free - I have a little silicone brush and the oil which works well.
Pour in mix as soon as you mix it up. Don't let it sit as it rises so fast - pour it in and let it sit a minute while oven heats. Bake 22-25 mins. Smaller pans you can bake 20 mins. Toothpick test to see if done.

YUMMY and delicate in texture. Keep in the fridge. You can make a dairy free/gluten free icing by using icing sugar, the cocoa, or vanilla or a bit of strong coffee (no flavorings!) and Natural Balance margerine.

girlgroupgirl

Annette, gluten-free vegetarian who should be vegan but likes cheese and egg whites too much. I have problems digesting all protein now, that also includes beans, but not alternative grains with protein like quinoa. I make a lot of weird food.

GGG

Speaking of weird food:

This is a very simple veggie recipe (once you tackle the rutabaga which can be tricky to peel).
Even the kids might eat these if you don't tell them what they are!

Ruth's Rutabaga Fries

Cut the peeled rutabaga(s) into french fry strips (approx thumb size).
Roll the fries in olive oil(or spray them)
Salt and pepper them and then roast them in a 400°F oven for about 30min.
(Turn the fries once or twice during cooking).

Patti

I have a spray device called a Misto. It is a stainless steel cylinder, eight inches tall and a couple of inches in diameter. I can fill it with any sort of oil I like. The top has a pump mechanism with which I can pump air into the vacuum bottle containing the oil. Sufficient volume of air in the bottle enables it to spray the oil. I use olive oil in my sprayer.

I had my Misto for several years, when it quit working. I did an Internet search and found a listing for Misto. The only way to contact them was by phone. I was astounded when the woman told me she would send me a free replacement part. She asked me a few questions to determine which of two types of Misto I had, and what had caused it to malfunction. She decided it needed a new seal ring for the vacuum bottle. She told me that the Misto company stands by their product and expects a Misto to last a lifetime! I keep the Misto on a kitchen counter because I use it often.
Lorna

Patti I don't think that's weird at all. Both DH and I love Rutabaga, most of the time I cut it up into small cubes, cook in boiling water, drain, add a bit of butter or margarine, sometimes a sprinkle of sugar and some dill weed. I'm definitely going to try your fries.

Annette

Me, too, Patti, I'll be trying your rutabaga fries. I am quite fond of rutabagas. Thanks for the recipe. (I think some people call them swedes.)

Lorna

Lorna, my misto died after only a few uses and I gave up. Tried several other misters but the oil seems to gunk them up. I like the "brush" works great!

GGG

I've had one of those misters for about 3 years, great little invention. I always partially unscrew the lid after each use to relieve the pressure. I never completely fill it and wash it quite regularly, so far it's working just fine. I've got one of those little stainless steel jobies with the pump action.

Annette

Ruth, I'm going to have to try your rutabaga fries. I've always wanted to try a rutabaga, but never knew what to do with it !

I have a Misto, too, and I just love it. It's one of those really handy gadgets I just can't live without.

Carol

I tried Patti's rutabaga fries--made a batch last week. They are good. I often use rutabagas in stew and soup. They have a very unique flavor.

Lorna