recipes

Recipe: https://therecipecritic.com/lemon-chicken-pasta-salad/  

Jan's Tips: -Used regular canned artichoke hearts, no avocado, and shredded Parmesan cheese instead of feta.-Upped the Italian seasoning on the salad not just in the dressing.-Sort of ignored the dressing recipe and used my mother’s recipe.  Which I don’t have exact measurements for but just eyeball. That includes apple cider vinegar, lemon juice , honey, a bit mustard, a bit ketchup, a bit sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and olive oil about twice as much as those ingredients. (Do it in a jar and you will see what I mean). -Can prepare ahead but don’t add cucumber and arugula and dressing until ready to serve.  That’s It!

RECIPE  :   Serves 4

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

1 Onion, chopped

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 Potato, chopped

520g carrots, peeled and chopped

800ml /27 fluid oz vegetable or chicken stock

Handful of coriander

METHOD :

Beta the oil in a pan and add the chopped onion and fry fro 5 minutes, until softened.

Stir in 1 tsp ground coriander and 1 chopped potato and cook for 1 minute.

Add 450 g carrots and add the vegetable/ chicken  stock.

Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat.

Cover and cook for 20 minutes until the carrots are tender.

Put everything in a food processor, plus a handful of coriander, and blitz until smooth.

Return to the pan, taste, add salt if necessary, then reheat to serve.

Cann add lentils to thicken if necessary.

RECIPE  :   Serves 10 -12

3 whole boneless Chicken Breasts 

1 Box of Uncle Ben's Wild and White Rice, (cooked in Chicken Broth)

8 oz Snow Peas, steamed and cut into inch pieces

8 Green Onions, chopped

1 Red Pepper, chopped

2 Avocados, sliced ( use lemon juice to keep color)

1 cup slivered almonds, toasted

DRESSING :

2 large cloves of Garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard ( I used a little more)

1/2 tsp Salt and Pepper

1/3 cup Canola oil

1/2 cup rice vinegar

METHOD :

Cut chicken into bite size pieces. 

Combine chicken, rice, pea pods, onions and toss with the dressing. Before serving add almonds and avocados .... Decorate top with some of the almonds and avocados.

I did everything the night before but didn't put the dressing on until 2 hours before serving and added the almonds and avocados an hour before serving.

RECIPE  : 

3 eggs 

1 cup of granulated white sugar (7oz / 198 g) - sieved so fine granules

1 cup ( 8 fl oz) soured cream

2 tablespoons pure lemon extract (30ml)

Lemon zest from 2 lemons

1/2 cup  (120ml / 4 fl. oz) vegetable oil

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour (7.5 oz/297g) - sieved 

ICING : 1 Cup of icing sugar 

Juice of 1 lemon

METHOD :

First, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Then add the soured cream, and the oil. Stir in the lemon zest and extract, followed by the dry ingredients.

Pour the batter into a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Leave in the oven until the top is domed, set, and toothpick inserted in the center crack comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no batter. 

Start testing around 43 mins onwards.

GLAZE :

Mix together the icing sugar and the lemon juice to form the glaze. Wait at least 40 minutes until the loaf is cool before drizzling over the top.

Chris' Tips:

I used 2 - 3 tablespoons of lemon extract because no actual lemon juice is used in the loaf and I found this amount gives a lovely lemony tang, but you can add it to taste.

Do not use lemon oil and lemon extract interchangeably because they’re not — oil is much more potent and intense.

Also, do not use lemon juice in place of lemon extract because it’s not strong enough and the acidity can alter the overall results.

This loaf can be frozen for up to 6 months. ENJOY ! :)

PUMPKIN CUPCAKES with MAPLE CREAM FROSTING

Cupcakes

1 box (15 oz) spice cake mix

1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin

3 large eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup water

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

1 block (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick, butter, room temperature

2 teaspoons maple flavored extract

3 to 4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, use a mixer to beat together cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, oil and water. Beat on

medium speed for 2 minutes.

Scoop batter into prepared cups, filling about two-thirds full.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool cupcakes completely.

For the frosting, use a mixer to beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.

Gradually add in 3 cups powdered sugar.

Add maple extract.

Add more powdered sugar if needed until desired consistency.

Frost cupcakes by hand or with a piping bag.

Makes 24 to 30 cupcakes.

Notes: If you don’t have maple extract, you can use 2 tablespoons of real maple syrup.

You could top each cupcake with a candy pumpkin.

Cathy Bell Bartholomay's Banana Loaf

RECIPE :

1 cup packed brown sugar 

2 medium eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

3 large overripe bananas, finely mashed 

1 1/2 tsp pure vanila extract

1 1/4 cup all - purpose, unbleached flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Generously butter or oil the bottom and lower half of sides of 9" x 5" glass or metal loaf pan.

In a large bowl, use a mixer to beat together sugar, eggs, oil and water. Beat on

medium speed for 2 minutes until creamy.

Add the finely mashed bananas and vanilla then use a whisk or mixer to fully blend. Put this bowl of wet ingredients aside.

In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking soda, lightly stirring with a fork. Add this dry mixture in two parts to the large bowl of wet ingredients, mixing well until everything is creamy and fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into the loaf tin. Lightly sprinkle cinnamon across the top of the loaf and gently swirl with the tip of a spoon, for even distribution.  Let this stand for 5 mins to help form the "crown" of crust on top of the loaf when baking.

Put on the centre rack of the oven and bake for 55-65 minutes, ( start checking after 5 mins) until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean an the corners of the loaf pull away slightly from the pan.

Put pan on a rack and allow to Cool  completely.

Place a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter and gently turn pan upside down on top of it. Tap the pan bottom with a wooden spoon or let the pan sit upside down, if the loaf doesn't immediately slide out.

Tightly wrap the loaf in plastic wrapped put in a plastoc bag. Ideally let it sit for 24 hours at room temperature or in a refrigerator before eating - but it's delicious right away !!