MY FAVORITE PIE CRUST

We had a family gathering and I baked three Rhubarb pies since we all have our personal favorites. Try them all and decide for your self......mine is rhubarb cream. The other two had even ties. I wouldn't know I didn't get to taste them, sigh.

This is truly a wonderful crust, I always always have success with it.

5 cups flour

pinch of salt

1 lb of lard or shortening, chilled

1 cup of cold ginger ale or 7-up

Mix flour and salt, cut in the lard and pour in the ginerale. Try not to over work the dough and have all the ingredients cold.

If you make a one crust pie, put it into the pie plate and chill before baking. Make at 375 for about 12-15 minutes or it has reached the desired color. (it helps keep it from shrinking).

Double 9" crust rhubarb pie filling;

2 tbsp. flour

1-11/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tbsp.butter

mix and pour over 4-6 c. rhubarb (cut up strawberries are always nice added as well)

Brush top of crust with egg or cream, sprinkle with a little more sugar and bake at 425 for 10 minutes on bottom rack then at 350 for about 40-45 minutes.

Cover top of pie with foil if it is getting to brown to ensure rhubarb being cooked.

ENJOY

Rhubarb Cream Pie

Hey mom can we have pie?
sure just wait til I take a pict.........never mind.
TEENAGERS!



When my youngest daughter was born I recieved some wonderful meals and this pie was part of a fabulous dinner and is my personal favorite.
Baked pie shell, filled with a Rhubarb custard. Delish!
3c. rhubarb
1-11/2 c. sugar
2 tbsp. flour
pinch of salt
1 egg
2-4 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Combine rhubarb, half the sugar and cook til rhubarb is softened about 10 min. Mix remaining sugar, flour, salt, egg and milk. Add a little cooked rhubarb to mixture to temper the egg, then mix in with remaining rhubarb, cook a few minutes til thick . Add vanilla and butter. Pour into baked pie shell. Cool and serve with whip cream.

Rhubarb,Strawberry Streusel Pie

Line 9" pie plate with pastry.
Fill with 4 c. of cut up rhubarb
and 2 cups strawberries.
Mix with:
1 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. flour
mix and pour over the fruit
Top with streusel:
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter
Bake at 450 for 10 minutes then at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Apple Pie Squares

There’s nothing quite like apple pie in July! Yellow transparents are an early apple and ready for the picking…and they make a wonderful, old-fashioned apple pie. I like to make 'apple-pie-by-the-pan' to feed a crowd...or simply to freeze and take out a few pieces at a time.

Apple Pie Squares

• 1 ½ cup margarine
• 3 ¾ cup flour
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• 1 egg yolk and milk to make 1 cup
• 6 cups peeled, sliced apples
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

1. Cut margarine into flour and salt.
2. Add egg yolk and milk.
3. Roll out half the dough and place on large bar pan...about 12 x 16 inches.
4. Spread apple slices evenly over bottom pastry.
5. Sprinkle with sugar, flour, and cinnamon mixture.
6. Roll out other half of dough and place on top…pinch edges.
7. Beat egg white until foamy and spread over crust.
8. Bake at 400 for fifteen minutes…reduce heat to 325 and bake an additional 30 minutes.

 

Summer Cake

Lisa's Summer Cake
3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder -			dry stuff
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c milk			wet stuff
1/8 c veg oil (canola) -
1 egg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbl brown sugar -			topping
dot with butter
- whisk up your wet stuff until combined.
-add your dry and fold in.
-pour into a greased 9" round pan and spread evenly
-cut up fruit
and put thickly on cake, or sprinkle with berries.
-sprinkle toppings over fruit
-bake @ 400F for 25 min or until done.
-Serve warm with vanilla ice cream for best results.
Note: Blueberry and Nectarines are my favorite combo! finished! unbaked

Smooth Vanilla Cheesecake

I've always loved the smooth creamy taste of a baked cheesecake .. . .

I've experimented with many different methods and I've found the secret.

No cracks. . . not a one.

It is one of the easiest and classiest desserts to serve.

Creamy Vanilla Cheesecake

• Preheat oven to 325

Roughly cut a piece of parchment paper to fit larger than a 9 inch spring form pan. Lay the parchment paper on to the bottom and put the edge around and squeeze the pan shut leaving the excess paper on the outside of the pan. I do this because it makes it really easy to transfer onto a serving plate once it is very well chilled. .

• 1 1/4 cups graham wafer crumbs
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Mix together the crumbs and the butter and press into the pan. I use a flat bottomed glass to make it nice and smooth and firmly pressed.

Bake the crumbs in the pan for about 10 minutes or until they are a bit fragrant.

Filling

• 4 packages cream cheese. . . total 2 pounds .. . . room temperature
• 5 farm fresh eggs
• 1 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• a squeeze fresh lemon juice. . maybe a couple of teaspoons

Topping

• 1 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Make sure that all your ingredients are room temperature.

Preheat oven to 500 F

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese on low for a minute or two until it is smooth and creamy.

Add the salt and the sugar and beat another minute or two until it is smooth. Never beat the cheese to death. Incorporating too much air will cause your cheesecake to rise and then fall and the .. .well you know what happened to humpty dumpty.

Stop your mixer in between to scrape down the sides so that all the cream cheese and sugar is evenly mixed.

Add the flour and mix until incorporated. . .not more than a minute. Now. . you don't really absolutely need flour but it helps to bind the custard. . .and keep the cheesecake stable.

Now. . .the eggs should be cracked into a bowl and at room temperature. Add one egg at a time. . they'll naturally slip in one at a time if you don't dump your bowl to quickly.

Mix the eggs in just until smooth. Add the cream and and the vanilla and lemon juice. . .another mix for half a minute.

Take your pan with the cooled crumb crust and wrap it in heavy aluminum foil. It doesn't need to be anything fancy .. .sometimes the fat will ooze a bit and the foil also helps to insulate the pan a bit. (well that's why I do it)

Now. . .

Gently pour the cheesecake batter into your pan and set it in the 500 degree oven. Set your timer for 10 minutes. At 10 minutes turn your oven to 200 degrees. Bake for another hour and 10 minutes. Don't peek.

While the cheesecake is baking, stir together your sour cream, sugar and vanilla.

After the hour and ten, the cake should be fairly set. . open up the oven and pour your topping (which really is optional but I love it) on your cake smooth it out and put it back in your oven for another 10 minutes.

Put an instant read thermometer in the center of the cheesecake. Your aim is to have it read 150.

The total baking time shouldn't be more than about an hour and a half up to an hour and forty minutes but you really need the instant read thermometer to help you with knowing when it is done. The jiggly in the center is also a good judge but it is hard to get it perfect with this test. I hate to say the exact time because every oven is a wee bit different. . you need the thermometer .. .150

Take the cheesecake out of the oven and let it sit in a draft free room temperature spot for a few hours and then chill it completely in the fridge.

Blueberry Sauce

• 2-3 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/3 cup sugar or to taste
• a squeeze of lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water

Combine all this and cover and put in the microwave for a minute, stir and cook for another minute or two until bubbly.

I also made some raspberry coulis which is 2 cups of raspberries and a half cup of sugar in the blender. .

Pool a little raspberry sauce on your plate, put on your cheesecake and cover with a good tablespoon or two of blueberry sauce. . .and a dollop of whipped cream for good measure.

Have ONE piece. . .and share the rest. ( that is my heart healthy tip)

Cola Marinade for Rotisserie Beef

I love trying new things and I found this recipe for Cola Marinade at Foodgeeks.com. I tweaked it a bit and tossed my roast in the zip loc bag.

Cola Marinade
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon fresh ground salt
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 can cola
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

Put your large zip loc bag inside a measuring cup, folding the edges over the cup. Add all the ingredients into the bag.
Remove the bag from the measuring cup careful not to spill. Add a 4-5 pound sirloin beef roast.
Seal the bag, put the bag in a bowl and put it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Let the roast sit at room temperature 1 hour before putting on the grill.

Tie the roast onto your rotisserie. Preheat the grill to 400 and insert the rotisserie onto the grill. Add a drip pan underneath with 1 cup of water, check to make sure the water doesn't run dry, or you will have very scorched drippings.

Grill with the lid closed for 1 hour, check the temperature. You will aim to have the internal temp at 135 - 140. We let ours cook to 154 and it was completely done, no pink left. Next time we will take it off the grill at 140. Remove from the heat and wrap in foil for 15 minutes.

During the resting time we grilled our chopped up veggies in a grill basket. I simply toss the veggies with veggie seasoning and olive oil and stir them once in a while. They only need 10 - 15 minutes on the grill.

Peach Custard Pie

I adapted this recipe from CD Kitchen online.

Preheat your oven to 425 F.
1 9 inch unbaked pie shell

Peel and slice enough peaches to fit into the bottom of the shell, they will float about a bit once you pour the custard on top but it won't affect the outcome.

I used 5 peaches each one cut into eight.

Custard

• 1 cup of 5 % unflavoured yogurt
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl and beat until smooth. I had my food processor out so I whipped it up in there. A blender would work perfectly too.

Pour the custard on top of the peaches and bake in the center of the oven for 10 minutes.

Lower temperature to 375 and bake for an additonal for 30 minutes. The original recipe does not ask you to lower the temp, but I did, so you probably don't need to.

Meanwhile make your streusel.

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar

Combine with a pastry cutter until you have it combined and made crumbs, refrigerate until you are ready to put it on the pie. (I found it easier to crumb after it chilled a bit)

After the pie has baked for 1/2 hour and the filling is somewhat set, drop the little pieces of struesel on top of the pie.

Continue to bake until the streusel is golden brown, about another 15 - 25 minutes.

Remove the pie to a cooling rack and serve warm or completely chilled.

Grilled Peppers with Tomato and Feta

These peppers are as tasty as they are attractive and are a great addition to your summer BBQ.
My sister passed this recipe idea on to me and they've become a summer favourite at our house.

• 3 large yellow bell peppers
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• grape tomatoes
• 4 leaves fresh basil
• 1 garlic clove minced
• salt and pepper
• Feta cheese

1. Cut peppers into 3 or 4 sections along indentations so that each piece can be filled.
2. Cut grape tomatoes in half. Place in a bowl.
3. Chop basil leaves and mince garlic and add to tomatoes with olive oil , salt and pepper.
4. Crumble feta cheese into bowl and mix gently.
5. Grill pepper pieces, cut side down on medium hot BBQ.
6. When they begin to blacken around the edges, turn them over and fill each piece with some of the tomato mixture.
7. Continue to grill until tomatoes are heated through and bottom of peppers begin to blacken.

Remove from grill and serve.

Barbequed Salmon with Sundried Tomatoes

I would guess that I’m not the only one, who would say that most of my favorite recipes are those that we’ve enjoyed in someone’s home. Our good friends, Harv and Bonnie love to cook together and we have been the lucky recipients of their hospitality over many years now. This is just one of the great recipes that they have shared with us. I've added the basil, so it's optional.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 garlic cloves, chopped fine
• 4 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped fine 
• 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped fine
• 3 sundried tomatoes (packed in oil) drained and chopped (about 1/4 - 1/3 cup, chopped)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1 (2-3 lb) salmon fillet with skin on under side

1. Combine garlic, parsley, basil, salt, tomatoes and oil in jar.
2. Let stand overnight in refrigerator. (Overnight is best, but if you only have a few hours, that’s OK too)
3. Place salmon on greased foil, on low heat on BBQ. Close lid and cook 10 min. Spread garlic mixture over fillet. Close top and raise temp. to medium. Cook an additional 15-25 min, until fish flakes easily when tested with fork.

Rhubarb Orange Almond Cake

This delightful cake caught my eye a couple of months ago in the spring/summer issue of Appeal Magazine put out by Save-On Foods. I knew then that it would be a perfect birthday cake for my husband...whose birthday it is today! As I was not familiar with the recipe I did not change a single thing. Therefore all the credit goes to the magazine EXCEPT for the photos...which were a HUGE hit as a slide show in my home this afternoon while anticipating the cake later on.

4 stalks fresh rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
(okay I DID change something...
I only had frozen rhubarb so that would be about four cups that I used.)
1 cup granulated sugar - later divided into two
1/2 cup butter at room temp.
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose four (I used unbleached)
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup ground almonds
Finely grated peel of 1 small orange, plus 2 Tbsp juice
1/4 cup blanched sliced almonds.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9" springform pan and line the base with parchment paper. Place the rhubarb in a bowl and cover with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Let stand while you prepare the cake batter. Mix butter and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and beat well.

In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients. Gently fold the dry mixture into the butter mixture. Stir in the orange peel and juice. Sitr the sugared rhubarb into the cake batter and spoon into prepared springform pan. Spread batter evenly in pan; sprinkle the top with the sliced almonds. Bake cake for 25 minutes. Then reduce the oven temp to 350 degrees and bake another 20 - 25 minutes or until the cake is FIRM!!!!

Let cool in pan for at least ten minutes....slide knife along inner sides of edge of springform pan. Remove edge of pan. Serve warm or cold with a dollop of whipped or ice cream!!! YUM!

Bran Muffins

Betty often tells me about these wonderful Bran Muffins she is serving for breakfast. This weekend she emailed me the recipe. This yummy picture is the result of baking those for our breakfast this morning.

Bran Muffins

1/2 cup soft butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 Tbsp molasses(optional)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

3 cups bran

Add enough buttermilk to make a smooth batter but still quite thick..approx 1 cup

3/4 cup raisins or blueberries

Beat butter and sugar till creamy, beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients and dump in bowl alternately with buttermilk and mix just until moistened. Fold in raisins or berries.

Bake at 350 for 30 min

12 large muffins or 18 regular size
(note: If making regular size or smaller reduce cooking time to 20 minutes)

Rhubarb Muffins or Loaves

Another winner from Betty's kitchen...this muffin recipe is sure to please those who may wish a bit more of a 'cake' like muffin. However, you can always use some whole wheat flour in this recipe. I would suggest that if you do, you keep it to no more than 1/4 of the total flour.

Rhubarb Muffins or Loaves

1/2 cup oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups chopped rhubarb (other fruit can be used)
Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon


Combine flour, soda and salt. In separate bowl blend sugar with oil. Whisk in egg, buttermilk and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients along with rhubarb just till moistened.
Spoon in greased muffin tins or 2 greased 8x4 loaf pans.

Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over batter.

Bake 350 for 25 min or until done when tested with toothpick. Cool in pans 10 min before removing.

Impossible Pie

I've been watching a number of these 'pies' and pastry recipes on the MGCC blog with great interest but also with fear. Sooner or later I knew I should make one, but I simply cannot make a pie! A couple of weeks ago a colleague, noting with interest this phenomenon of baked goods appearing at work every Monday morning, brought in a armful of old cookbooks and handwritten recipes from her aunt and grandmother for me to browse through. Very interesting books indeed and a good read.

I found a recipe in one book called Impossible Pie. Hmmm...I think. This is something I can do. It looks real simple. So I tried it whilst my boys relaxed over a movie tonight and hey...it worked. It is so simple ...well.. you just won't believe it.

Impossible Pie

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup coconut

Put all ingredients in blender (food processor). Put on High speed and count to ten slowly. Pour into well greased Pyrex pie plate. Bake at 40 minutes in a 350 oven. After it is baked you have a definite crust, a custard filling and a rich butter coconut topping.

Millie Janzen Market Vendor for 23 years
From City Market est 1892
94th year Cookbook
New Westminster, B.C.

...easy fresh fruit trifle with a twist....

As anyone knows, it is so easy to make a beautiful trifle in as many ways as there are fruits of the season. Here is one I made this evening in a quick hurry for a party tomorrow. Most ingredients or easy substitutes are in your kitchen. The 'twist'? Instead of just a custard....have a layer of cream cheese, mascarpone and cream all whipped together for a rich bonus.

Ingredients (by layers)

Pound cake, angle food cake, sponge cake, Italian biscuits or similar white cake

Some jam (a great way to use up old jam) (blueberry, strawberry, raspberry)

A wee bit of liquor or orange juice

Custard - you can make your own, use vanilla pudding (hmmm not as good) or buy Bavarian creme already made - My choice is Bavarian cream although Birds Custard is truly the best

For the Twist - Cream cheese, whipping cream, mascarpone, lemon juice, sugar & vanilla

Fresh fruit (or frozen if well drained)(only canned if peaches or similar fruit which holds its shape) I used fresh raspberries and blue berries over top of canned peaches well drained for a colorful effect.

Whipping Cream (real whipped cream is truly the best-don't let anyone tell you otherwise)




Cut cake layer into rough 1 inch cubes. (I used sponge cake I had on hand. Some prefer to soak this in liquor...it just depends on your taste buds...doesn't really need it)

Mix jam (I had leftover 1/4 cup blueberry) with liquor or orange juice ( I used port...all that I had handy so I used a few tbsp...enough to make the jam mixture JUST runny enough to drizzle)

Cream 1 brick cream cheese with 1/2 cup mascarpone, 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice. Beat well. Add 1/2 cup whipping cream. Mix till thick and creamy. When refridgerated this layer will slightly harden allowing for a more stable layer to keep the fruits and juices separated. An easier 'serve' on a hot day.

Line the bottom of a glass trifle bowl with cubed cake layer
Drizzle a bit of jam mixture over cake
Put a layer of custard over this
Next a layer of the cream cheese mixture
Place a layer of fruit next- depending on how deep your bowl is you may wish to put 2/3 of the fruit mixture in this layer
Put another layer of cake
Drizzle remaining jam mixture
Layer the custard
Next the cream cheese
Add fruit to decorate.

You may add 'dollops' of fresh whipped cream on top of this if you so wish.

Let sit in fridge for at least 4 hours and overnight is fine too. Don't add the whipped cream on top until just before you serve.

Try and experiment with trifle...there is certainly no right or wrong and each time I make it, it is different..but always yummy!

Teryaki Chicken

This recipe was from a friend - Heidi in Winnipeg.

Cooking the chicken in the marinade keeps it exceptionally moist.

Marinade
1/2 cup oil
1 cup soy sauce
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. vinegar
3 Tbsp brown sugar
grated fresh ginger to taste*
1 Tbsp. orange zest

boneless chicken breasts or thighs

Combine marinade ingredients, mixing well.

Place chicken in a large ziplock bag and pour marinade over. Seal bag and marinate in fridge for no more than 3-4 hours.

Place a foil pan (lwith edges) on a preheated BBQ. Place chicken pieces in pan and pour marinade over. Grill for 6-7 minutes per side, turning only once.

*Tip

I seldom kept fresh ginger in the house because it would spoil before I'd used it up. Then someone told me to keep it in the freezer. It is very easy to scrape the peel off the frozen gingerroot and grate it on a rasp. Grate as much as you need than pop the rest back in to the freezer.

French Bread

I got this recipe from Lovella G. ( another Lovella, and another great friend) way back when our kids went to the same elementary school. This recipe has become sort of a "staple" kind of recipe for a quick bread, for pizza crust, pizza buns, focaccia bread or baguettes (used for spinach dip etc) As you can see - It is a must have! =)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp cooking oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 cups hot tap water
• 4 1/2 - 5 cups flour, white - can be half whole wheat or multigrain *
• 2 Tbsp instant yeast

Method:

1. Put sugar, oil, salt and hot water in a large mixing bowl. You can also use a mixer that has a dough hook attachment or your breadmachine.  
2. Add 1 cup of the flour mixed with the yeast, then the rest of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Add flour until dough comes away from side of bowl or easily holds together in a ball shape and is not too sticky if you handle it with floured hands. Cover bowl with wax paper and tea towel.
3. Let rise until double, about 1/2 hour. Divide in half.
4. Roll out on a slightly floured surface to about 12"x15” rectangle. Roll up jelly roll style, beginning at longer end, and place on greased or parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Cut diagonal slits on top. Cover.
5. Let rise about 30 - 45 min. Brush with mixture of 1 egg and 2 Tbsp milk, whisked with fork.
6. Bake at 400F for 20 min, or until golden. Remove to rack to cool.

* Flour purchased in the USA may need a tsp of vital wheat gluten added to the flour




For Pizza:
Instead of rolling out the dough, just divide and press onto 2 pizza pans. Bake at 400F until light golden - just done. About 10 minutes.
Spread lightly with pizza or spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with any cold cuts you want . . . ham, salami, pepperoni, cooked hamburger (left over sloppy joe sauce) or cooked chicken, slivered peppers, grated cheese (mozzarella, or assortment). Sprinkle with oregano and basil. Bake at 375 F, about 15 min.

focaccia bread:
Add about 1 Tbsp of each (fresh if possible) thyme, oregano, rosemary, chopped into tiny bits,
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and 1- 2 tsp garlic powder to the dough, as you're mixing it. Cover and let rise.
Press dough into 2 - 8 X 8 greased pans. Make indentations with end of wooden spoon and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with cornmeal and rosemary (optional)
Cover and rise 1/2 hour. Bake until light golden, about 25 - 30 minutes. Serve with Olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

dipping bread:
Use any kind of combination of flour and grains that you like, roll out to make long skinny loaves (baguettes) and slice at an angle. Great with Spinach dip.
Maybe this is too much information, but it's there to give you ideas on what you can do and I hope you try something new and enjoy it.

Taco Salads

Summer Supper solution - Taco Salads

A meal in a salad bowl. A great supper solution for

those days when you've worked all day in the yard and don't feel like cooking.

These recipes originated with friends and I've added a few ingredients

of my own. I've always used the bought dressings for these

but I'm sure they would be even better with homemade dressings.

Taco Salad

1 lb. lean ground beef

2 Tbsp. taco seasoning

1 head iceberg lettuce

1 - 2 tomatoes

montery jack cheese

cheddar cheese

bell peppers- red, green, yellow - your choice

zucchini or cucumber (opt)

corn chips

Catalina style salad dressing

Brown the ground beef into a frying pan, removing the excess fat with

a spoon or baster. Add the taco seasoning, stir in well and fry a few minutes longer.

Set meat aside to cool.

Seed the tomatoes and chop.

Cut the cheeses into a 1/4" dice. You should have at least 1 cup combined.

Chop up the peppers - again about 1 cup chopped.

Chop the zucchini or cucumber into a 1/4" dice.

Tear the lettuce into a large bowl. Add the ground beef, tomatoes, cheese, peppers, zucchini

and corn chips. Toss with enough dressing to moisten.

Serve immediately.

This Taco Salad comes to me from my friend Debbie.

Chicken Ranch Taco Salad

1 head lettuce, washed and torn

2 cups crushed taco chips

2 cups shredded "TexMex" cheese

4 grilled chicken breasts, sliced

2/3 cup Peppercorn Ranch dressing

1 cup chopped red and green bell peppers

chopped tomato if desired.

Toss all ingredients together just before serving.

Note: chicken breasts grilled on the BBQ give this salad its special flavour.

FRUIT PIZZA

Fruit pizza is a perfect summer time dessert. It has a cookie base that is covered with a cream cheese spread, and then topped with seasonal fresh fruit and a glaze. The cookie base recipe is enough for 2 pizza pans. If you are only making one this dough freezes well.

LEMON POPPY SEED COOKIE BASE

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup Crisco shortening

3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp grated lemon rind

1/2 tbsp poppy seeds

1/2 cup sour milk (to make sour add 1/2 tbsp vinegar and let it stand several minutes)

Cream together shortenings and sugars. Add egg, vanilla, Poppy seeds and lemon rind. Mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until blended.

Spread cookie dough onto lightly greased pizza pan.

Bake at 350for 8-10 minutes. The base will be golden brown. Let cool.

CREAM CHEESE SPREAD

1 8oz brick cream cheese softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Cream together and spread on cooled cookie.

Choose your favorite fresh fruit and arrange it on top of the spread in a decorative pattern.

I used kiwi, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, apricots and plums.

GLAZE

1 cup orange juice (or any flavor fruit juice you enjoy. In the summer I like to keep some juice boxes handy as they are exactly 1 cup and very handy for a quick glaze for desserts)

1 tbsp apricot jam

1 tbsp corn starch

Stir well and heat in microwave until bubbly. It will be shinny and smooth. Allow to almost cool and pour over fruit. I use a brush to make sure that all the fruit is covered.

Place it in the fridge for and hour. Serve it with a dollop of whipped cream.

This dessert is best the day it is made. The cookie doesn't get to soft and the fruit is fresh.

Rainbow Pasta Salad

This recipe is posted for Vange, who reminded of this recipe recently. Over the years I’ve changed it up a bit, sometimes making it more of a Greek Pasta Salad by adding feta cheese and using Greek Dressing, or mixing it with a sundried tomato dressing.

Ingredients:

• 3 – 4 cups vegetable pasta
• 2 chopped tomatoes 
• 1/4 cup cucumber, sliced
• 1 cup broccoli, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped 
• 2 Tbsp chopped green onion

Dressing:

• ½ cup sugar ( I prefer less)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• ¼ cup vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika

1. Cook pasta according to instructions on package. Do not over-cook. Cool. 
2. Mix dressing ingredients and then mix with pasta and vegetables.
3. Refrigerate and serve cold. Serves 8-10

Blueberry Crumble Buns

Blueberries are beginning to ripen in the fields on the farm next door. This recipe is a good way to use up the berries in your freezer. . .or the fresh ones that come your way.

When freshly baked they can be served without icing. . .but I couldn't resist a wee bit of cream cheese icing to finish them.

Dough

• 2 tablespoons yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water

In a large bowl, put the yeast and sugar and add the warm water. Let stand until it poofs .. .about 10 minutes.

• 1/2 cup of soft butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons of instant potato flakes
• 1 cup of hot water

In another small bowl, stir together the butter, salt, potato flakes and the hot water. Let this sit while the yeast poofs.

Add 1 egg to the butter and potato mixture. Then .. .add to the yeast.

Add 1 cup of flour at a time stirring well. Continue to add enough flour to make a soft dough. You will need about 4 - 5 cups of flour. Knead until the dough is smooth. Put the dough into a greased bowl and let rise. . covered until double. . about an hour.

Crumble

• 1 cup of large cut oatmeal
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Combine the crumble mixture. In 2 9X13 pans. . .line with Parchment paper. Divide the crumble mixture between the two pans.

When the dough has finished rising. Roll it out to a rectangle 20 X 10. Spread a bit of butter on the dough and sprinkle with blueberries. I didn't measure how many blueberries, but I likely used about 2 cups. Next time I will lay the blueberries down a little heavier. . Roll up jelly roll style and mark the dough into 24 pieces and cut with a sharp serrated knife. Lay the rolls on top of your crumble.

Cover and let rise again about an hour or until nice and puffy and double.

Cream Cheese Icing. . .4 tablespoons cream cheese, 2 tablespoons soft butter. . .2 cups of icing sugar and enough cream to make a nice smooth icing. I add a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.

Preheat the oven to 325 F. I baked mine on Convection at 325 for 25 minutes on a lower but not the lowest rack. I wanted to make sure the crumble got nice and brown. It looks really nice, served with the crumble on top. . .a drizzle of icing and you are done. Wrap them well and freeze the same day if you can't eat them all.

Yum, Yum....Apple Buns

If you have never made apple buns you are in for a real treat. My girlfriend's mother used to make them all the time and I had forgotten about them until I saw a recipe in a magazine recently. I dug up the two recipes and compared them...then came up with my own version for the day. As I had left over filling for Judy's perishky I decided to use her bun recipe for both. I modified the bun recipe using 1/3 of the flour as whole wheat flour. It turned out lovely although the dough for apple buns is usually a little more pastry like. So...for your decision...I'll leave you with both the original recipe for the dough and Judy's perishky recipe which works equally as fine.

Apple Filling:

8 - 10 apples...I used four which was ample for 1/3 Judy's recipe

You can make this filling a day before...it is not complicated. Peel and core the apples. (I don't have an apple corer so I had to chop in half to core. Place each apple in the cup of a muffin tin or you can arrange them in a baking pan that has sides. Bake them in a 350 oven for 45 minutes.
Chop finely and set in fridge in a covered container . Don't be tempted to add cinnamon and sugar. Truly the apple bakes into a sweetness that is sufficient for taste and is much healthier this way.

Make Dough: I used Judy's ...Here is the recipe for a more pastry like bun.

1 cup warm water, divided
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tbsp instant yeast
1/2 cup of melted salted butter
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp salt (way too much in my opinion)
and 4 to 5 cups of flour (again...I prefer a healthy bun with some whole wheat mixed in)

In a small bowl dissolve 1 tsp sugar in 1/2 cup of the warm water. Sprinkle yeast over top. Set it aside. In a large mixing bowl combine the butter and remaining water and milk. Add the rest of the sugar, 1 egg and your salt and beat it well. Blend in the yeast mixture and slowly add the rest of the flour until it pulls away from the side of the bowl. Continue until it forms a ball and and then cover the dough in the bowl with a plastic wrap and let it rise for about 15 to 20 minutes. Punch it down...cover and let it rise again...about three times.


Pinch off dough into a small walnut size round. (Okay a bit smaller than that one...that was a pic of a pinch of the regular bun size :)
Flatten roughly in hand to a circle about two to three inches in diameter.
Place some of the apple filling in it and fold over sides...pinching the bottom to close.
Place, pinched side down on lightly greased baking sheet to bake for about 20 minutes.


Remove buns from oven and pan and place on a cooling rack

Enjoy the absolutely wonderful flavour of apples in a bun.

Of course...I made Judy's meat perishky as well. And I had enough dough left so that I could make a few extra plain brown bread buns for ham and cheese sandwichs for the week ahead. YUM!...Enjoy