Been a long time...

It's been so long since I've blogged, in the course of this past 2 years I have moved and as yet haven't been recipe testing. Hopefully that will start again in the near future. Until then...

I'm Back...Almost

Well, I'm almost back.

My move went fine...unpacking is another thing. But the test kitchen is almost up and running. (OK it's a rather small kitchen, but mine, none the less).

Lately I've been experimenting with not-quite-raw food for my dog, so maybe I'll have to start another blog dedicated to that. Hmmmm.

Taking a Break

Yup, that's right, I'm taking a break from cooking and recipe testing.

Truth is, I've adopted a beautiful dog, bought an apartment, and am preparing for the big moving day. All while working 12 hours a day and visiting my dog at my parent's place on the weekends. Needless to say, this doesn't leave much time for cooking!!

So I won't be adding recipes with any consistancy until after I'm settled in the new digs. Maybe I'll write up the menu of the house-warming when that happens.

In the meantime, Thanks to all who have visited this blog, and those who have been kind enough to comment on some of the recipes.

Look for me again near the end of July, beginning of August.

Thanks
Myrna

Greek Salad

This is one of my favourite summer salads.

2 med. cucumbers, peeled
2 targe tomatoes, trimmed
1 can black olives, drained
1 onion, peeled
1/2 lb feta cheese
1/2 c. olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp. oregano leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Cut cucumbers legnthwise and remove seeds. Roughly chop cucumbers, tomaotes, and onions (should be left in bite size chunks). Slice olives. Place the vegetables in a large bowl. Add crumbled feta. In a small jar, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper. Shake to mix. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss gently. Serve.

**tastes better if made early on and refrigerated**

Enjoy,

Myrna

Rosemary & Garlic Chicken

I love a bit of mediterranian cooking in the summer. Fresh rosemary is the best for this one.

2 chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 c. chicken broth
2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Cut breasts into quarters. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over high heat. Add chicken, saute til brown, about 5 mins per side. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and fry until chicken is cooked through, about 15 mins. Transfer chicken to bowl. Discard all but 2 tbsp of drippings from skillet. Add garlic and rosemary. Cook until fragrant, about 1 min., stirring constantly. Add broth and vinegar to skillet. Increase heat and boil until sauce is reduced to 1/2 c, scraping up browned bits, about 7 mins. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to skillet. Cover and cook over low heat until chicken is heated, about 10 mins. Spoon sauce over. Garnish with rosemary.

Serve with fresh bread to sop up the drippings.

Serves 2 - 4

Enjoy,
Myrna

Crab Salad

This is a nice summertime salad.

1 med. onion, finely sliced
1 lb cooked crab meat
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. ice water
5 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
salt
freshly ground pepper

In a large bowl, spread half of the onion around the bottom. Place crabmeat on top of the onion. Top with remaining onion. Pour oil, water, vinegar & lemon juice over top. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 but no longer than 12 hours. Toss and serve.

Makes around 6 cups.

Enjoy,
Myrna

Prawns with Asparagus Stir-fry

I like this recipe, but have lowered the amount of soy sauce it originally asked for, also I prefer jalapaneos to red chili's.

1 kg prawns
1 tbsp. peanut oil
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled, grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 med. onion, sliced thinly
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and chopped
1/2 fresh jalapaneo, seeded and sliced thin
2 tbsp rice wine
1/8 c. soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

Shell and devein prawns, leave tail intact. Combine wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar in small bowl. Set aside. Heat half the peanut oil in pan. Add giner, garlic and onion. Stir-fry a few minutes. Add asparagus stir-fry until tender. Remove from pan. Heat remaining peanut oil in same pan, add prawns. Cook until done. Return asparagus mixture to pan with the prawns. Add jalapaneos and wine/sauce mixture. Stir-fry several minutes until heated through. remove from pan, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve.

Serves 4.

Enjoy,
Myrna

Grilled Chicken and Pear Kebobs

This one was inspired by a salad recipe and I thought I could adapt it to a kebob.

1 boneless breast of chicken
1 pear (ripe)
olive oil
poultry seasoning
margoram
salt
pepper
3 shish kebob skewers

Pre heat grill or oven to 350F. If using the oven, place a grill pan into oven during the pre-heat.

Wash and pat chicken dry with paper towel. Cut chicken into cubes. In a small bowl place some olive oil, poultry seasoning, margoram, salt and pepper and mix. Add chicken. Stir to cover chicken with oil mixture. Wash pear. Cut pear into thick slices or cubes.

Thread skewers alternately with chicken cube, then pear cube. Leave a bit of space at both ends of skewers to make it easier to handle.

Cook until done, about 15 mins. Turning every 5 mins. to prevent burning.

Enjoy,
Myrna

Garlic Shrimp

MMMM, shrimp!

1/2 c. butter
4 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
5 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. sugar
1 1/5 tsp. grated lime peel
pinch of cayenne pepper
20 large shrimp
4 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Mix in the next 6 ingredients, saute 30 seconds. Add shrimp; saute until opaque in center, turning occassionally, about 3 mins. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Serves 4.

Enjoy,
Myrna

Mashed Yams with Honey

A nice side dish, that's kind of different.

6 lbs yams, peeled
2 lbs. potatoes, peeled
1 c. butter
1/2 c. honey

Cut yam & potatoes into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Place in a large pot of boiling water, cook until tender, aobut 25 mins. Drain. Return potatoes to pot. Cook over med. heat until excess liquid evaporates. Stir frequently, about 3 mins. Add butter and honey. Mash until butter mets and potatoes are smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Serves 12.

Enjoy,
Myrna

Carmelized Onion Soup

I'm not usually a fan of soups, but really enjoyed this one.

16 shallots (not green onion)
1 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 c. butter
3 1/2 lbs yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. brown sugar
3/4 c. cooking sherry
1 tbsp. dried thyme, crumbled
1 tbsp. ground sage
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. beef broth
3 c. whipping cream
3 tbsp. minced fresh thyme
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. favourite hot sauce

Preheat oven to 375F.

Peel shallots, toss with oil in a bowl. Arrange shallots on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 30 mins., turning occassionally.

In a large pot, over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions & sugar and cook until onions carmelize, stir frequently. Cook about 50 mins.

Add whole shallots, 1/2 c. sherry and the dried herbs to the pot. Cook until almost no liquid remains in pot, stir occassionally, for about 5 mins. Add broths and simmer 25 mins. Add cream and simmer until thickened, about 10 mins.

Add remaining 1/4 c. sherry, thyme, parsley and hot sauce to soup. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 8.

Enjoy,
Myrna

Baked Pears with Cinnamon

A nice dessert with or without ice cream.

5 ripe, firm anjou Pears
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. dark brown sugar (packed firmly)
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 c. raisins
1/3 c. water

Preheat oven to 350F. Core pears with apple corer, being careful to only remove core and stems. Trim bottoms so they will stand upright. Arrange in a baking dish. In bowl, combine sugars and cinnamon. Stir in raisins. Fill pears with half of the sugar mixture. In the other half of the sugar mixture, stir in the 1/3 c. water and pour around the pears.

Bake pears, uncovered, until tender and the sauce is like syrup. If syrup becomes too think, stir in a bit more water. Baste pears occassionally. Bake about 50 mins.

Serves 5.

Enjoy,
Myrna

Pineapple Nut Bread

Another nice Afternoon Tea bread.

2 1/4 c. sifted all purpose flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. bran
3/4 c. walnuts
1 egg
1 1/2 c. crushed pineapple, undrained
3 tbsp. butter, melted

Sift flour, measure and sift with sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add bran and walnuts. Beat egg well, add pineapple & butter and add to dry ingredients. Combine. Bake in oiled loaf pan at 350F for 1 hour & 10 mins.

Makes 1 loaf.

Enjoy,
Myrna

Orange Bread

This one is nice for a Sunday afternoon tea, or when company is over.

3 c. sifted all purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
1 egg slightly beaten
1/4 c. grated orange rind
1 c. orange juice
1/3 c. vegetable oil or melted shortening

Sift flour, measure & add baking powder, salt & sugar, sift again. Combine egg, orange rind, juice & salad oil or shortening. Pour into flour mixture & stir just enough to moisten dry ingredients; do not beat Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350F for 1 hour. Remove from pan. Cool. Let stand 1 day before slicing.

Enjoy,
Myrna

Potato Salad

I love summer for the great side dishes that help to grace any BBQ. Here's one from my Junior High School Home Ec. book. I still like it.

4 c. diced cooked potatoes
1 1/2 tsbp. minced onions
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1 or 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
touch of prepared mustard

Place all ingredients except mayo. and mustard in a bowl, combine gently. Add mayo and mustard, stir gently to combine.

Seres 4 - 6

Enjoy,
Myrna

Cinnamon & Vanilla Ice Cream

I love making my own ice cream in the summer and this is one of my all-time favourite recipes.

1 vanilla bean
1 1/4 c. cream
1 3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. sugar
3 cinnamon sticks, broken
6 egg yolks
1/2 c. extra sugar

Split vanilla bean, remove and reserve seeds. Combine bean, reserved seeds, cream, milk, sugar and cinnamon in pan. Bring to a boil, stirring. Remove from heat, cover, let stand 30 mins.

Beat yolks and extra sugar in small bowl until thick and creamy. Gradually stir in milk mixture. Pour mixture back into the same pan, cook over low heat, stirring constantly, without boiling, until mixture thickens slightly. Strain. Discard cinnamon and vanilla. Cool.

If using an ice cream maker, follow directions according to the manufacturer. Otherwise, pour mixture into shallow pan, cover with foil, freeze several hours until firm. Spoon mixture into bowl, beat with mixer until creamy. Put mixture back into a pan or container, cover and freeze.

Enjoy,
Myrna

Curried Egg Salad

This is great in a sandwich or on it's own as a side dish.

1/3 c. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 c. diced apple
1/3 c. minced onion
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk together mayo, lime juice, curry powder, mustard, salt & cayenne in a bowl until combined. Add eggs, apple, onion and cilantro and stir to combine. Serve immediately, or chill and serve.

Enjoy,
Myrna

Coleslaw

One of the summer side dish favourites.

3/4 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sweet pickle relish
2 tbsp. prepared mustard
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and grated

Mix mayo, relish, mustard, and vinegar in large bowl. Add cabbage and carrots, toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill.

Serves 8-10.

Enjoy,
Myrna

BBQ Spareribs

It was a such a gorgeous sunny day today, instinctively I wanted to BBQ something. I ended up not cooking at all, but decided to add some of my favourite BBQ recipes to the blog. First up is my Spareribs. I know some people might find it evil to boil the ribs before BBQing, but some of us don't have the luxury of the 4 hour BBQ.

Here goes...

a slab of pork side ribs
1/2 an onion
water
bit of salt
favourite BBQ sauce

Cut the side of ribs into sections that include 2 to 3 ribs. Place into large pot. Slice onion, throw on top of ribs. Cover with water to about 1-2 inches above the ribs. Salt the water. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour. Drain.

Remove and spray BBQ grill with non-stick cooking spray. Replace grill, heat BBQ to medium-high heat. Place ribs on BBQ, brush with sauce. Cook for about 7 mins., turn ribs over and brush with BBQ sauce. Cook another 7 mins. or until heated through. Place in deep dish, place some more BBQ sauce on top and serve.

**Remember, ribs are already cooked by boiling, so all you are really doing is re-heating them on the BBQ (and cooking the sauce on).

Enjoy,
Myrna

Sangria

This is my all-time favourite Sangria recipe.
***NOTE: If the fruit stays in the sangria overnight, they become very, very potent (my Mom found that out one day).***

4 cups dry red wine
1 cup flavoured mineral water (should be the same flavour as one of the fruit you use)
1é2 c. grenadine
2 med. oranges (or some strawberries)
2 med. peaches (could try lemons too)

Combine all ingredients in pitcher, cover, refrigerate until cold. Add ice before serving.

Makes about 8 cups.

Enjoy,
Myrna