Three Great Salads

Salads are something I crave regardless if the temperature is warm or not. It can be the dead of winter minus 25... 30 and I am happily munching on a salad. These three salads are easy and offer plenty of nutrients. 

Spinach, arugula, and crisp vegetables topped with roasted seasoned chickpeas, feta cheese, and unsalted sunflower seeds give plenty of substance. A lovely homemade dressing add a light herbal flavour to this main meal salad.   

Mixed greens... various romaine, spinach and arugula tossed in a homemade dressing with lima beans, green peppers, red onion, and sunflower seeds. Light, crisp and very green. A perfect side dish to any meal. 

Pasta perfect... a homemade vegetable pasta salad tossed with a simple homemade dressing served on top of a leafy green mixture, spinach and arugula, sprinkled with sunflower seeds and served with a side of grilled halloumi cheese, becoming a scrumptious main meal. 

 

Apricot Honey Bread

Last week I did a post about the Winnie-the-Pooh cookbook and shared the Apricot Honey Bread recipe. Over the weekend we had a get together with friends so I decided to make that and serve it with a few other nibbles. The loaf turned out perfectly... light and moist and disappeared quickly!  

I was tempted to add walnuts however decided to make the recipe as stated. I did sneak in a bit of British mixed spice and it was worth it. 

Hope everyone had a good weekend. - JD 

Bacon Marmalade

Was really intrigued when we saw this on the shelf. Two worlds are colliding in a very savoury way. If you need a quick bacon fix then this might do. I did slather it on toast and it was quite nice. To me, seems that it would work better with cheese and crackers, waffles and meats. 

Have a good weekend everyone! - JD

Winnie- the- Pooh Cookbook

This charming 120 page cookbook, that was inspired by Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne, is great not only for kids but adults as well. There are Winnie-the-Pooh quotes and illustrations with every recipe. Many of the 60 plus recipes involve honey and have a no nonsense relaxed approach to them. This does make an ideal cookbook for children, Winnie-the-Pooh enthusiasts, and cookbook collectors. 

Chapters as they are typed in the book are... Breakfasts, Smackerels, Elevenses, and Tea, Provisions for Picnics and Expotitions, Lunches and Suppers, Dessert and Party Recipes, Christmas Specialties and of course Honey Sauces. With plenty of recipes to satisfy anyone. 

From the book, I would like to share the Apricot Honey Bread and Muffins recipe:   

Apricot Honey Bread and Muffins

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1 stick butter or margarine (1/4 pound) at room temperature

1/4 cup honey

2/3 cup mashed, canned apricots

1 large egg

1 tablespoon canned apricot juice

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

**Preheat oven to 350ºF for breads

**Preheat oven to 375ºF for muffins

Grease and lightly flour 1 loaf pan, 8" long, 2 1/2" deep and 4 1/2" wide, or 2 muffin tins (12 muffins, 2 5/8" diameter, medium). 

Cream the butter with honey and add the mashed apricot pulp.

Beat in the egg and apricot juice.

Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together. Fold into the mixture.

Fill the loaf pan or the muffin tins about half full.

Bake the loaf in a 350ºF preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour, or until a cake tester, knife blade, or toothpick stuck into the centre of the loaf comes out clean.

Bake the muffins for 30 to 35 minutes in a preheated 375ºF oven.

Serve hot with honey and butter or honey butter. 

"Well, said Pooh, "it's the middle of the night, which is a good time for going to sleep. And tomorrow morning we'll have some honey for breakfast. Do Tiggers like honey?" - The House at Pooh Corner 

At the end of the last chapter there is this page... a recipe for getting thin. As you can see the page is almost blank except for an illustration and this quote: "How long does getting thin take?" asked Pooh anxiously. - Winnie-the-Pooh  

Hope everyone is having a good week so far. - JD 

Meatball Pizza

During the holiday weekend I made meatballs... I know not the most Easter culinary dish that comes to mind however the hungry masses welcomed the change. There were leftover chicken cheddar meatballs which got used to make this a meatball pizza. Which was enjoyed quite diligently. There is no recipe because all you do is cut up the leftover meatballs in half or in quarters and place them on your homemade pizza with your choice of other toppings. Very simple and fun way to use up those leftovers.

Hope everyone had a great weekend and is full of chocolate. - JD    

Their Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie

Yesterday the weather was quite unpredictable so we made chocolate chip cookies in the afternoon. It was a collective effort although my son and my daughter added what they  wanted to make these their ultimate chocolate chip cookie. These are dense, chewy, and loaded with goodness.  

Their Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie

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3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup macadamia nuts, broken into pieces

1/2 cup flaked coconut, sweetened or unsweetened 

1 bag of dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.

2. In a medium bowl mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.

3. Beat the sugars, butter, vanilla, and egg in a large bowl. You may use an electric mixer on medium speed or mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until creamy and smooth.

4. Stir in the flour mixture, you sat aside. Once combine add the macadamia nuts, coconut, and chocolate chips. The dough will be quite stiff so it may be a bit of an effort when stirring however well worth it once the cookies are done.  

5. Drop the cookie dough by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased baking tray.

6. Bake for about 8 to 11 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Lightly press down on the tops of each cookie with a fork, this condenses the cookie making the centre chewy and the edges crisp. If the fork gets coated in chocolate wipe down, as you go. Then let the cookies cool for 1 to 2 minutes on the baking tray. Remove from baking tray and continue to cool on wire racks.

Notes: I mixed everything by hand because I had 2 helpers, my son and my daughter. Even if they did not help I still would have mixed everything by hand, sometimes that is how I roll in the kitchen. I baked the cookies for 11 minutes only. I found this was enough time as they were nicely golden on both, top and bottom. To lighten the fat content decrease the butter to 3/4 cup. Omit the nuts and add mini chocolate chips instead. You may also want to use 1/2 cup apple sauce and a 1/2 cup butter, although it may change the consistency of the cookie. 

Gently pressing down on the tops of each cookie can squish the chocolate chips on top. However, they are so delicious that you won't even notice. 

Hope everyone is having a good week. - JD  

Tajin Classico Seasoning

There is a Latin Food Market here in E-town called Paraiso Tropical. It offers a nice modest selection of groceries, candies, drinks, snacks, hot food, and cookware of Latin America. I bought this Tajin seasoning. It is a blend of chili peppers, sea salt and dehydrated lime juice. Very mild however great for seasoning just about anything. Veggies... possibly fruit, meat, tofu, dips, and popcorn. They do offer a low sodium version however I didn't see any on the shelf. Regardless, I am sure a light hand for those that are watching their sodium intake will do. To me it didn't taste outrageously salty. Just spicy, sweet with a hint of zesty tang.    

Tajin does have a website, click *here* and so does Paraiso Tropical, click *here*. Both websites have loads of information for you to check out. 

A few days of warm sunshine only to have a snowy wet and very windy Wednesday. - JD