February Recipes Continuing With Wholesome Comfort Foods And A Touch O' Irish... by Nancy Bremner And Linda Huisman Volunteers And Residents Of Pinawa

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1 February Recipes Continuing With Wholesome Comfort Foods And A Touch O' Irish... by Nancy Bremner And Linda Huisman Volunteers And Residents Of Pinawa Colcannon 4 lbs (7-8) potatoes "old" ones or russets, 1 green cabbage or kale, 2 leeks or 4-5 green onions, 1 cup milk or cream, 4 oz of butter, fresh parsley When served it was often the main dish but the delicious part of the colcannon was making a well in the mound and adding a large pat of butter so it melted gloriously over the vegetable dish. Comfort From Nancy Bremner Since we are doing some foods for St. Patrick's Day here is a pickling recipe for homemade brisket that I used to make. Homemade Pickled Brisket (Corned Beef) Use a 3-4 pound boned beef brisket with not too much fat (4 lbs serves 8). 2 tbsp salt, 3 crushed red peppers, 1 tsp. saltpetre, 3 heaping tbsp pickling spice, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 chopped clove garlic; water to make paste. Place meat in a glass dish and pour mixture over the meat, cover, and refrigerate for 10 days, turning the meat over everyday and making sure to brush the meat with the mixture. To cook place in a large pot and cover with cold water and add 3 sliced onions, 4 whole cloves, 6 peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, 1 clove of garlic, and 1 whole celery stalk with leaves. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat for 4-5 hours or until fork tender. Thirty minutes before it is done add a green cabbage that has been cut into sixths and arrange on top of the meat and simmer until cooked. Optional is to add a pinch of caraway seeds to the cabbage. Prepare carrots, potatoes, and more onions by boiling them until done. Serve with Irish mustard sauce. Irish Mustard Sauce In a small saucepan add the following: ½ cup cider vinegar, 1 tbsp of butter, 1 slightly beaten egg, 1 tbsp of brown sugar, 2 tbsps of prepared mustard (strong English or horseradish mustard are best), 1 tbsp paprika. Beat over low heat until smooth and slightly creamy. This sauce will be almost clear. Nancy's Italian Spaghetti Dinner I mentioned last month about how braising vegetables really enhance their flavour. I used 2 meats; hamburger and Italian sausage in this recipe because we were having company. The sauce recipe came from a Mazola Oil minicookbook, which my sister got in Home-Ec at school in the late 60s. Serve with a Caesar salad and homemade Focaccia bread. Chop a variety of vegetables such as different types of peppers, mushrooms,

2 zucchini, carrots, garlic cloves, and yellow onions. Place on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and braise in the oven at 425 F for about minutes. In this picture chopped Italian sausage was added to the top to get well browned. Basic Tomato Sauce ¾ c. chopped onion, 1 clove garlic chopped fine, 1 can (28 oz) diced stewed tomatoes, 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste, 3 tbsp oil, 1 bay leaf, ½ tsp basil, ½ tsp oregano, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, ¼ tsp marjoram, ¼ tsp. thyme, ¼ tsp. Rosemary, 1½ tsp. sugar. Optional but very delicious is about 1 tsp fennel seeds and if you like spicy sprinkle ground chili pepper into the sauce to taste. Sauté onions and garlic in oil. If adding meat add hamburger and spices and cook until browned. Drain fat if you like and then add the tomatoes and paste. After bringing this to a boil, simmer 1½ 2 hours or until the sauce is reduced to 3 cups. Serves 4-6. I often double or triple this recipe. After assembling the basic tomato sauce add the vegetables and simmer for an hour. Dumplings For Stew 1 cup flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, 1 tbsp butter, margarine, or shortening, 1 tbsp parsley flakes, and ½ cup milk. Stir flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt together in medium bowl. Cut the shortening into the flour until crumbly. Stir in milk to make a soft dough. Drop by spoonfuls onto a boiling stew. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Makes 6 dumplings. Bruce s Chocolate Brownie Blackforest Cake I simply used my husband s favourite brownie recipe, baked in cake pans, and added cherry pie filling to make this sweet and rich dessert. Bruce's Chocolate Brownie Preheat oven at 350ºF 3 oz unsweetened chocolate squares, 1 tbsp butter Melt the chocolate and butter in a cup at about power #3 for 3 minutes in the microwave. Do NOT scorch the chocolate. 2/3 cup sifted flour, ½ cup and 2 tbsp butter, ½ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt, 11/2 cups sugar, 3 eggs, 1½ tsp vanilla. Optional 1 cup chopped nuts. Cream the butter; add sugar, vanilla, add eggs 1 at a time and beat well after each egg. Mix in the melted chocolate mixture. Add flour, salt, and baking powder. Pour into two greased 9 cake pans. Bake for 45 minutes. The centre will flatten in these brownies. Ice thickly with Chocolate Fudge Icing see below. Chocolate Fudge Icing Combine 3 tbsp melted butter with ¼ cup sifted cocoa powder. Blend in ¼ cup milk, ¼ tsp vanilla and 2 cups sifted icing sugar until smooth. Will frost 1 13x9 pan.

3 To assemble the Blackforest cake; open 1 can of cherry pie filling. Place the first layer on a plate and add a layer of cherry pie filling not quite to the edge of the cake. It is difficult to ice if the pie filling gets pushed out between the layers. Add the top layer of brownie. Ice thickly all around the sides and top of the cake. For decoration make a ring of cherry pie filling on the top of the icing fill with shaved sweet chocolate. Favourites from Linda Huisman Bacon Soup 6-8 slices bacon, 1 small onion, 4 medium potatoes diced, 1 can creamed corn, 1½ cups milk, 2 tbsp margarine, 1¼ tsp salt, 1 tbsp sugar, 1/8 tsp pepper Dice bacon and onion. Sauté onion and bacon until crisp. Add diced potatoes. Add just enough water to cover the potatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Slowly add creamed corn. Stir in milk, butter, salt, pepper, and sugar. Cover and simmer another 5 minutes. Irish Soda Bread (from a friend) 3 cups whole-wheat flour, 1 cup white flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 cups buttermilk (approx), 1 egg, beaten, 2 tbsp cold butter or margarine. Rolled oats or cornmeal. In a large bowl, mix whole-wheat flour, white flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Cut in cold butter with pastry blender. Add egg and enough buttermilk to make a stiff dough. Turn onto floured board. Knead lightly and shape into round loaf. Grease baking pan and sprinkle with rolled oats. Gently place bread onto pan and sprinkle top with rolled oats. Bake at 400º F for minutes or until golden brown. Shepherd s Pie 1 lb. hamburger, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 large onion chopped, 1 cup mushrooms diced fine, 1 red or orange pepper diced fine, 2 carrots grated, 3 celery stalks cut fine, 1 cup frozen peas, 1 cup frozen corn, 1 cup beef broth, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste, 2 cups cauliflower steamed and mashed, 6-8 medium potatoes cooked and mashed (with milk or broth and butter if desired). Brown hamburger with chopped onion in olive oil. Add mushrooms and red pepper. Continue cooking for 10 minutes or until mushrooms are slightly browned. Pour in beef broth. Add carrots, celery, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until veggies are soft and most of broth is absorbed. Add frozen peas and corn. Cook until tender. Pour meat and veggie mixture into deep pie plate. Mix together mashed cauliflower and potatoes; gently spoon on top of meat. Bake at 350º F for minutes, or until potatoes start to brown and meat is bubbling around the edges of the pan. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

4 Linda's Note: A small food chopper can be used to finely cut up the onion, mushrooms, pepper, carrots, and celery. Asiago Potato Muffins (from Company s Coming) 1¾ cups flour, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, 2 large eggs, ¾ cup mashed potatoes, 1¼ cups buttermilk or soured milk, 2 tbsp margarine, melted, ¾ tsp. dill weed, ½ cup grated Asiago cheese Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. In separate bowl, beat eggs, mashed potatoes, buttermilk, melted butter, dill weed, and Asiago cheese. Pour into dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into a greased muffin tin. Bake at 375º F for minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean. Cool on rack. Barm Brack (from Company s Coming) A traditional Irish round loaf Báirín (a loaf) Breac (speckled because of the raisins and currents). In Ireland the term is Barmbreck and not the Canadian familiar Barm Brack. 1 cup cold tea, 1 cup raisins, ½ cup mixed peel, ½ cup currants, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, ¼ cup margarine, melted, 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp. salt In a large bowl add tea to raisins, peel, currants and sugar. Cover and let stand overnight. Next morning beat egg until frothy. Stir into fruit mixture. Stir melted butter into fruit. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to fruit batter. Stir until well blended. Spoon into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350º F for minutes. Cool 10 minutes and turn out onto rack. February Quilters Corner Recipes Ann s Oriental Salad Roast: ¼ cup sliced almonds, ¼ cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds 2 tbsp. sesame seeds Chop: ½ cup green onions, 6 cups Chinese cabbage (I use the whole thing), 1 pkg. dried oriental soup noodles crushed, 3 cups fresh bean sprouts (I may omit due to supply) Dressing: ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp. Soya sauce (I use the LITE) 2 tbsp. Sugar, 2 tbsp. sesame seed oil, black pepper. Blend and refrigerate for 1 hour prior to serving Sigga and Ann s Cranberry Banana Loaf ¼ cup melted butter or margarine, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 eggs, 3/4 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 or 3), 1 cup chopped cranberries, fresh or frozen, ½ cups flour, 1 ½ tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. cinnamon.

5 Combine butter, sugar, and 1 egg in mixing bowl. Beat until smooth. Beat in second egg. Stir in banana and cranberries. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir well. Add all at once to banana mixture. Stir only to moisten. Scrape into greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake in 350º F oven for 1 hour until it tests done. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cake rack to cool. Wrap. Yield: 1 loaf Shawna s Bacon Mini-Quiche 5 eggs, ½ cup milk, ½ cup grated Swiss cheese, 1 tbsp. dry chives, Crisp bacon bits about ½ bag, Approx. 2 doz. frozen tart shells Beat eggs & milk. Add dry chives, bacon bits, and cheese. Place the tart shells on a cookie sheet. Gently pour filling into tart shells. Bake filled shells at 350º F for minutes or until pastry starts to puff out of tin cups. Sigga s Banana Muffins ½ cup oil, ½ cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp. baking soda, 4 tsp. hot water, 6 bananas mashed, 2 cups flour, 2 tsp. baking powder Optional: raisins, walnuts, chocolate chips Mix together oil and sugar. Add eggs. Mix baking soda and hot water. Add to mixture. Stir in mashed bananas. Mix flour and baking powder, and add to wet ingredients. Stir just until moistened. Add optional ingredients if desired. Bake at 350º F for 20 minutes. Makes 18 muffins. Linda s Sausage Rigatoni Bake 1 tbsp. olive oil, 2 onions, diced, 1 red pepper, chopped, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1 lb. hot Italian sausage, cut into chunks, or skins removed, 2 jars tomato-basil pasta sauce (700 ml each), 1 tbsp. wine vinegar, 5 cups rigatoni pasta 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese In large pan, heat oil, cook onions, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add red pepper and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes or until onions are soft. Remove to a bowl. Cut sausage into 1 chunks, (or remove skins and break apart with a fork) and add to pan, browning well. Drain off fat. Stir in pasta sauce and vinegar. Return vegetable mixture to pan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. In large pot of boiling salted water cook pasta for about 8 minutes or until tender. Drain and return pasta to large, greased casserole dish. Pour sauce over pasta. Combine mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Set 1 cup aside. Stir remaining cheese into pasta mixture. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Cover and bake at 350º F for approx. 45 minutes until sauce is bubbly.