Recipe: Fruity Crab Pasta Salad

Our boat was slipped and docked this weekend, so it's time to gear-up for recipes that can easily be prepared and packed into a cooler.  This healthful recipe is made with yogurt to replace most of the mayonnaise and sweetend with honey and a subtle ginger flavour.

FRUITY CRAB PASTA SALAD
from Taste of Home

3/4 cup uncooked spiral pasta
1 package (8 ounces) imitation crabmeat
1 snack-size cup (4 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 cup halved seedless red grapes
1/4 cup halved seedless green grapes
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1-1/2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a small bowl, combine the pasta, crab, oranges and grapes.

Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, honey and ginger; pour over salad and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 2 servings.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

Pray With Me for Faith

My cousin's little girl, Faith (6 years old),
has herpes encephalitis of the brain. 

She's in a children's hospital now and
I would ask you to keep her in your prayer's please.

Faith with her 4 year old sister Dakoka.

Picture taken recently just before she got sick.

"Lord Jesus, look down from heaven upon our little girl, Faith, and make her well again soon."

Recipe: Oven-Roasted Cod with Herbs & Baked Potatoe

This was crisp, light and delicious.  I found the recipe on the Food Network site and adjusted it after reading suggestions in the comments.  The recipe below reflects the changes I made.

I served this with a baked russet potatoe using this recipe from Alton Brown on Food Network.  The skin comes out very crisp and I love the taste the kosher salt adds to this.  I ate mine with just a touch of butter and it was so delicious.

THE BAKED POTATO
from Alton Brown on Food Network

1 large russet potato (If it looks like Mr. Potato Head(r), you've got the right one.)
Canola oil to coat
Kosher salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees and position racks in top and bottom thirds. Wash potato (or potatoes) thoroughly with a stiff brush and cold running water. Dry, then using a standard fork poke 8 to 12 deep holes all over the spud so that moisture can escape during cooking. Place in a bowl and coat lightly with oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and place potato directly on rack in middle of oven. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any drippings.

Bake 1 hour or until skin feels crisp but flesh beneath feels soft. Serve by creating a dotted line from end to end with your fork, then crack the spud open by squeezing the ends towards one another. It will pop right open. But watch out, there will be some steam.

NOTE: If you're cooking more than 4 potatoes, you'll need to extend the cooking time by up to 15 minutes.

OVEN-ROASTED COD WITH HERBS

adapted from Rachael Ray on Food Network

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 large cloves garlic

1 lemon, zested

Coarse salt

4 (6 to 8-ounce) cod fillets

Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Pile parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and a little coarse salt on the cutting board. Finely chop the lemon-garlic mixture, then combine with plain bread crumbs.

Place olive oil in a shallow dish then dip cod fillets in it to generously coat all over.  Using tongs dip the cod fillets in to the bread crumb herb mixture. Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a baking dish then place fillet in the dish. Drizzle extra olive oil on top to help with browning then roast fillets in oven until firm to the touch, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

The Story Hour

compiled by Esther M. Bjoland

1953, Standard Educational Corporation

Recipe: Canteloupe Water

This is a tastety way to get refreshed on a hot summer's day.  This was so easy to make as it uses only 4 simple ingredients.  I used a regular lime for this but I think a key lime would have given this the sour punch that it needed.  The kids loved this nutricious drink. 

Who knew canteloupe was good for insomnia, helps relieve heavy menstration and is great for pregnant women as it's high in folic acid.  For more information on the health benefits of canteloupe go here.  They also recommend mixing in a bit of pineapple juice.  Next time I have a pineapple, I'm going to chop it up, juice half, then add the chunks to this blended drink, yum!

CANTELOUP WATER
from e-how.com

1 Cantaloupe
1 gallon of water icy water
Sugar to taste
1 key lime

Cut the cantaloupe in half and slice it in wedges do not take the seeds of it.  Have a large bowl handy to save one wedge to add at the end to the gallon of Cantaloupe water.

Put half of the cantaloupe along with the seeds in the blender.  Add some of the gallon of water to the blender and let it blend for a good while. 

Pour the blended cantaloupe through a large thin colander. Repeat with the second half of the cantaloupe

Add blended canteloupe to the gallon of water and  add one squeezed key lime and add sugar to make it sweet, as much sugar to please your individual taste.

Cut up the extra wedge of Cantaloupe and add it to the gallon of cantaloupe water.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

1953, The Spenser Press

Recipe: BBQ Chicken with Homemade Sauce & Steakfries

This is one of our regular weeknight meals that I make often, however, this is the first time I've made-it-from scratch.  In Micheal Pollen's Food Rules: An Eater's Manual he says it's okay to have french fries and such, but just to make it yourself instead of driving through a fast food joint to get it.  This makes sense as we're less tempted to eat these all the time if we have to go through the effort of making them.  These steak fries though, are worth it ;o)

I wanted to reduce the amount of sugar in our barbeque sauce so I made it myself.  Our favourite way to serve it is baked in the oven on chicken drumsticks.  Here's a great recipe for it and how to make this tastey chicken dish.  If you have a homemade barbeque sauce recipe, please share it in the comments as I'd like to try to make some different varieties.

HOMEMADE BARBEQUE SAUCE
from Barbeque-Smoker-Recipes.com

1 400g can of chopped tomatoes or 1 cup of ketchup (I used 28oz. can crushed organic tomatoes)
6 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons vinegar
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dry English mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed (I used minced garlic)
A pinch of salt and pepper
Red Chillies / Chili Sauce to your taste (I used Louisianna Hot Sauce, a shake or two)

Just throw everything into the saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 45 mins or so until you have a nice thick sauce.  Remember, you can always vary chilies and garlic to suit.

BBQ CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS FROM THE OVEN
adapted from Kraft Canada Recipe
8 chicken drumsticks
2-4 cups barbeque sauce
2 dashes hot sauce

Preheat oven to 400.  Place chicken drumsticks on foil-lined cookie sheet, sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake 20 minutes, then remove chicken drumsticks from cookie sheet and place in large bowl of barbeque sauce to coat.  Return to sheet and bake 30 more minutes.

STEAK FRIES
from e-how.com

4 to 5 medium russet potatoes
Extra-virgin olive oil
Dried herbs, salt and pepper
 
Preheat the oven to high, or 450 degrees. Toaster ovens work well for this recipe and save energy.
Start with 4 or 5 medium-sized russet potatoes and cut into thin, about 1/2 to 1 inch, wedges.

Spread the potato wedges out on a cookie sheet. Coat the potatoes with extra-virgin olive oil using a basting brush. Sprinkle with dried herbs and steak seasoning or salt and pepper. If you don't have any dried herbs, Mrs. Dash will work (I used Montreal Chicken Spice).

Cook potatoes in the oven for 25 minutes. Turn potatoes once with a spatula, about half way into the cooking time. Steak fries are done when they turn slightly brown on the cut sides. Serve fries hot from the oven with lots of ketchup and napkins.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

from the book "Bruin Furryball in the Toy-House"

Trnka-Menzel

Andrew Dakers, London

Recipe: Gingerbread-Peach Upside Down Cake

Gingerbread and peaches is a wonderful, tastey combination.  This is a fresh summer dessert that both adults and kids will love.  I brought this to a cookout we attended this weekend.  I didn't have much time to prepare anything and this was quick and simple to make. 

I was so nervous when I flipped this cake over as it was my first upside-down cake.  Thankfully, it turned out beautifully.  You simply peal and dice peaches, layer them in the bottom of a cake pan, then make your gingerbread batter to spead on top, bake, cool, and flip - done!

This recipe is from my favourite cookbook, the Hay Day Country Market Cookbook which I picked-up at a garage sale for $1.00.  What a treasure this book is and you'll soon see many more recipes from it like Lemon Sugar Snap Cookies, Oatmeal Crisp Cookies, Raspberry-Ginger Scones, Curried Chicken and Basmati Soup and lots more.  I've flagged at least a dozen recipes to try!

If you do bring this cake to a cookout or a neighbour's home, be sure to attach one of these beautiful tags from Joy Ever After. Her site is stuffed with oodles of inspiration and free printables.

free printable tag (and photo) from Joy Ever After here

GINGERBREAD-PEACH UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
from Hay Day Country Market Cookbook

4 cups peeled, coarsely chopped ripe peaches
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9-inch round cake pan.

In a large bowl, toss the peaches with the brown sugar and lemon juice. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake pan and spread it in an even layer.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ginger. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and molasses and mix until smooth. Add reserved dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, mixing to form a thick, smooth batter. Spread batter evenly over peaches.

Bake until the cake springs back when lightly touched, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; then invert the cake onto a large serving platter.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

from the book "Bruin Furryball in the Toy-House"

Trnka-Menzel

Andrew Dakers, London

Recipe: Herb Bread (Bread Machine)

This bread was fluffy, savoury and delicious.  With herbs like marjoram, thyme, chives and basil, it makes a wonderful addition to any pasta dish.  I served this the other night with my Savoury Pork Stew and it was perfect for soaking up all the delicious sauce.

Yes, I post alot of bread machine recipes.  Why?  Because they are so easy to make and sooo good.  I must make 2-3 loaves in my machine each week.  What could be better than always having your home smell like fresh bread?  Not having to turn your oven on in the summer is great too. 

I bought my bread machine 2 years ago at a thrift shop for $2.00.  I always see them for sale at garage sales and on Craig's List.  They were very popular in the 90's so you see many used one's for sale from this era.  If you do buy a used one, be sure it comes with a manual.

This was a "recipe bomb" that I made yesterday. 

I tried to make a regular whole wheat bread recipe in the machine... it didn't work :(

Although I use my machine alot and make sucessful loaves often, I do have my share of "recipe bombs" as well.  These are heartbreaking as it's such a waste of ingredients and, after smelling the bread baking for hours, you really look forward to eating it.  Usually the cause is using improper ingredients or recipes not meant for a machine.  It takes practice, but a good start is using your bread machine's recipes from the manual to get you started on sucessful loaves.

HERB BREAD
from Diabetic Gourmet

1 teaspoon Fast-rising yeast OR 2 teaspoons Active dry yeast (I used 2 teaspoons Bread Machine Yeast)
2 cups Bread flour
1 Tablespoon Dry milk
1 Tablespoon Sugar (I used Splenda for baking)
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Dried chives
1 teaspoon Marjoram
1 teaspoon Thyme
1 teaspoon Basil
1 tablespoon Margarine or butter
7/8 cup Water (77°-95°F)  (this was tough to measure so I did "just about" a cup)

Place all ingredients in the bread machine in the order suggested in your operator’s manual. (If using fresh herbs, double the amount called for.)

Select the white bread mode (I also selected dark crust); press start. This recipe can be made with regular, rapid or delayed-time bake cycles.

Makes one 1-pound loaf, for 16 servings.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

from the book "Food From Farm to Home"

written and illustrated by Walter Buer

1970, Morrow Junior Books

Martha Mondays: Please Join Us ~ Next Recipe Herbed Flatbread

I've never made crackers before but I have always wanted to.  When I heard a friend of mine talk about how she makes hers I called her a "Food Snob" ;o)  Now that I've read this recipe in June 2010 Martha Stewart Living, I'm going to give it a try as it looks so simple.

Why not join us for Martha Mondays June 6th and blog to share how yours turned out?  For more information contact Martha and Me.

Photo from "Martha Stewart Living, June 2010 Magazine"

Recipe: Shrimp Tomatoe Pasta with Pine Nuts

I started with this recipe from My Recipes then made some adjustments after reading how bland it was.  I added tomatoes, garlic and parmesan cheese and it was fantastic.  We love shrimp and the pasta quickly absorbed all the delicious tomatoe cream sauce.  The pine nuts really made this dish interesting with their nutty flavour and subtle crunch.

SHRIMP TOMATOE PASTA WITH PINE NUTS
8 ounces uncooked whole wheat linguini 
12 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 cup 1% low-fat milk, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
28 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil or 2 Tbsp dried basil
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add pasta; cook 7 minutes.
While pasta cooks, heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add nuts to pan; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned, set aside.

Combine 1/2 cup milk and flour in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Place pan over medium heat; gradually stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk. Stir in mustard and nutmeg. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 5 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken, stirring constantly. Stir in salt and pepper; cook 1 minute.

Add can of tomatoes, garlic and shrimp and cook shrimp is pink.  Add drained pasta mixture, cheese, and chopped basil, tossing gently to combine. Sprinkle with nuts and torn basil.

Printable Recipe

Happily submiteed to the Ultimate Recipe Swap over at Life As Mom where she's featuring Nuts & Seeds this week.

 

Enjoy!

from the book "Barney Bipple's Magic Dandelions"

by Carol Chapman

pictures by Steven Kellogg

1977, E.P. Dutton