Apr 6, 2015
Another great recipe for leftover ham. Smoky ham and sweet corn combine with just a pinch of heat from cayenne pepper to create a flavourful, hearty soup that is suitable for any occasion. Serve with soda bread or saltine crackers.
Prep. time: 20 mins Cook time: 40 mins Servings: 8
Tip: If you want to add even more complex flavour, you can always grill corn on the cob on the barbecue. Just slice the kernals off the cob and substitute for the frozen corn.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1/4 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 2 tablespoons margarine
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups milk
- 2 cups cooked ham, diced
- 2 cups potatoes, diced, and cooked
- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
- 1 (15 ounce) can cream-style corn
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add diced potatoes. Cook 10-15 minutes; or until just fork tender (do not overcook). Drain.
- While the potatoes are cooking, dice ham, onion, celery and carrots.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the onion, celery and carrots in butter until onion is softened.
- Stir in the flour and stir until well blended, then gradually add milk; stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in ham, corn and seasonings and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, add potatoes and cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until heated through. Ladle into bowls to serve and top with fresh parsley, if desired.
Apr 6, 2015
Leftover ham from Easter? Don’t let it go to waste. Instead, make this cheesy ham and vegetable casserole. It’s so good even the kids will eat the veggies!
PREP. TIME: 10 mins COOK TIME: 50-60 mins MAKES: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
- 1 ½ teaspoons butter or margarine
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 1 cup ham, cut into bite-size chunks
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 cup dark red kidney beans
- 1 small red and 1 small yellow Bell pepper, seeded, sliced, and cut into strips
- 1 cup green beans, partially cooked, drained, sliced into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9 X 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes longer.
- Gradually stir milk into saucepan. Simmer, stirring frequently, 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened. Add cheeses. Cook, stirring constantly, 5 to 7 minutes longer or until melted. Stir in the white pepper.
- Add vegetables and diced ham to coated baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the vegetables.
- Cover and bake 40 minutes. Uncover; bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.
Mar 30, 2015
A delightfully light, citrus flavoured cake that is perfect for tea time or served as an elegant Easter dessert.
Prep time: 25 mins Bake time: 40 mins
Makes: 6-8 servings.
Instead of using glaze you can simply dust the cake with a little powdered sugar.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup milk
For the Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 2 tsp. orange zest
- 4 teaspoons orange juice
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a bundt pan.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, orange peel and extracts and beat until combined.
- In another bowl, add flour and baking powder and stir to combine. Gradually add the flour mixture to the cream mixture, alternating with milk between additions. Make sure not to over mix between additions – just barely combine. The result is a cake with a light, even texture throughout.
- Pour into bundt pan. Place in oven on center rack and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.
- For glaze: combine the confectioners’ sugar, orange juice and grated orange peel; whisk until smooth. Spoon over cake, allowing glaze to run down sides. Garnish with thin slices of orange, if desired.
Mar 30, 2015
This frittata is easy to prepare and can be enjoyed for breakfast, brunch, or dinner. Serve with crusty toast and fresh fruit.
Prep. Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Total Time: 40 mins
Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter, divided
- 8 eggs
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 green onions, including green tops, chopped
- 8 ounces baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish
- Pinch of salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Whisk together eggs, cheese, ground pepper and basil. Season with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a cast iron skillet (or ovenproof frying pan) over low heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion starts to soften, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium-high and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes and cook 2 minutes until tomato just softens.
- Add the remaining butter to the skillet and stir to incorporate with vegetables. Pour egg mixture over tomato/mushroom mixture. Lift and tilt pan and swirl around to distribute egg mixture evenly. Reduce heat to low. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes or until the egg mixture is almost set (the surface will still be slightly runny).
- To finish cooking, place pan in oven and cook until eggs are set – about 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 2 minutes. Loosen edges with a spatula and gently slide frittata onto a plate. Cut into 6 wedges. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Mar 23, 2015
There’s still enough of a chill in the Springtime air to warrant a little warm up from this soup. This soup is simple, flavourful and loaded with nutrition from the superfood kale.
Makes: 8 cups – 6 servings
Ingredients
- 8 oz sausage, casings removed, sliced (you can use turkey sausage, chourico, mild Italian, etc.)
- 1 medium-large onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/4 pounds potatoes (about 3 medium), peeled and diced
- 12 ounces fresh kale, tough stems removed and leaves chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes, optional
Instructions
1. In a large stock pot, brown sausage.
2. Add onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
3. Stir in potatoes and kale (and tomatoes, if desired). Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, until potatoes and kale are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Mar 23, 2015
This salad is full of colour, packed with flavour, and loaded with nutrition. It not only looks good it is delicious too! Just call it one amazing SUPER SALAD!
Quick Nutrition Facts:
Edamame
Edamame weighs in at about 120 calories per 1/2 cup serving, 9 grams of fiber, 2.5 grams of fat, 11 grams of protein, and contains around 10% of your daily recommended allowance of vitamins C and A.
Kale
The highly touted superfood kale packs about 33 calories per cup, 0g fat, 1g fiber, 2g protein and boasts a whopping 206% DV of Vitamin A and 
134% DV of Vitamin C! Kale also provides 9% DV of potassium which may help lower blood pressure, 9% DV calcium which helps build strong bones and teeth, and 10% Vitamin B-6 which helps maintain healthy brain and nerve function.
Cherries
The skinny on cherries… they are rich in antioxidant anthocyanin compounds which may help lower the risk of cardiovascular conditions, diabetes an
d even Alzheimer’s. Cherries also help reduce the pain and inflammation of arthritis and gout.
Need a good night’s sleep? Eat sweet cherries! Cherries are one of the few sources of melatonin – a hormone that regulates sleep cycles. And while cherries may not possess the wow factor of kale they are fat, cholesterol and sodium free, contain only 90 calories per cup, pack 3 grams of fiber – which aids in digestion, lowers cholesterol, controls blood sugar, and can help with weight loss), and offer 16% DV of vitamin C per cup.
Cherry Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes are miniature versions of traditional tomatoes and they are just as nutritious. There’s 1.3g protein, 1.8g fiber and 20mg vitamin C in 1 cup of cherry tomatoes. They are low in sodium, fats and cholesterol and are a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Potassium and Manganese. In addition, cherry tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant that lowers your risk of certain diseases caused by cellular damage.
Kale, Edamame & Cherry Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh kale, washed, chopped
- 2 cups frozen edamame (shelled)
- 1/2 cup fresh cherries, pitted and sliced in halves (note: you can substitute with dried cherries)
- 1/2 cup fresh cherry tomatoes, sliced in halves
- 2-3 tablespoons vinaigrette (your choice)
Directions
Combine all ingredients, lightly toss with vinaigrette and serve.
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