March 2012 Recipes Page. Guest Chef Whitney Bremner. Whitney's Black Bean Soup

March 2012 Recipes Page Guest Chef Whitney Bremner Whitney's Black Bean Soup Ingredients 2 medium onions diced, 2 clove garlic minced, 10 medium mushrooms diced, 1 large bell pepper (red, yellow or orange) chopped, 796 ml diced canned tomatoes, 1194 ml (3 small cans) canned drained black beans, 1/4 tsp. tabasco sauce, pepper, 1 litre ready to use, reduced salt chicken broth, 1 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. coriander leaf (cilantro), dried, 1 tsp. canola oil Directions Dice onions, peppers, and mushrooms and mince garlic cloves. In a large soup pot, sauté garlic, diced onion, pepper and mushrooms in tsp. of Canola oil for approximately 10 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, stock, hot sauce and spices. Stir. Add cans of black beans. Simmer all together for a minimum of 30min. Makes 8 Servings and freezes well. Meaty Mushroom Chili This recipe from The Ultimate Soup Cookbook, Reader's Digest is for chili lovers who don t like beans; the recipe uses mushrooms instead to delicious effect. I, however, like beans so I added 2 cans of mixed beans and 2 cups cooked lentils and omitted the sour cream. 454 g bulk Italian sausage, 454 g ground beef, 1 cup chopped onion, 454 g fresh mushrooms, sliced, 1 can (1.4 L) vegetable juice, 1 can (180 ml) tomato paste, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Sour cream (optional) In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook sausage, beef and onion until meat is browned. Drain off fat. Stir in mushrooms, vegetable juice, tomato paste, sugar, salt, garlic powder, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, basil and pepper. Bring to boil, and then reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour. Garnish meaty mushroom chili with sour cream, if desired. Serves 8 Chunky Black Bean Chili This recipe is great in a large slow cooker. I use only 600 g meat and increase the black beans to 6 cups to make 6 portions. Also note that ground ancho (pablano) pepper is a chili powder that is a dark smoky chili with a deep rich flavour and mild to medium heat. The adapted recipe is from 175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics by Judith Finlayson (Robert Rose Inc., 2006). 1 tbsp. (15 ml) vegetable oil (approx.), 2 lbs. (1 kg) stewing beef, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes and patted dry, 2 onions finely chopped, 4 cloves garlic minced, 1 tbsp. (15 ml) cumin seeds, toasted and ground, 1 tbsp. (15 ml) dried oregano leaves crumbled, 1 tsp. (5 ml) each cracked black peppercorns and salt, 1

can 28 oz (796 ml) diced tomatoes undrained, 1-1/2 cups (375 ml) flat beer or beef stock divided, 4 cups (1 L) cooked black beans drained and rinsed, 2 each dried ancho and New Mexico chili peppers, 1 cup (250 ml) coarsely chopped cilantro, leaves and stems, 1 to 2 jalapeño peppers chopped Optional sour cream, finely chopped red or green onion, shredded Monterey Jack cheese and salsa Preparation 1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Add beef, in batches, and cook, stirring, adding a bit more oil if necessary, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes per batch. With a slotted spoon transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker. 2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, peppercorns and salt and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice and cook, breaking up with the back of a spoon, until desired consistency is achieved. Add 1 cup (250 ml) of the beer and bring to a boil. 3. Pour mixture over beef. Add beans and stir well. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours, until beef is tender. 4. Half an hour before recipe is finished place ancho and New Mexico chilies in a heatproof bowl; soak in 4 cups (1 L) boiling water for 30 minutes, weighing down with a cup to ensure they remain submerged. Drain, discarding soaking liquid and stems and chop coarsely. Transfer to a blender. Add cilantro, jalapeño, if using, and remaining beer. Purée all the chilies, cilantro, and remaining beer together. 5. Add chili mixture to the beef mixture and stir well. Cover and cook on High for another 30 minutes until mixture is hot and bubbly and flavours meld. To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish. Serves 8 to 10 Lentil Salad And Fried Eggs Breakfast I make a big batch of the salad and add extra spinach and carrots adding the spinach at the last and let it wilt a bit. I fry the egg the day of eating the salad which has been reheated. Each serving is ½ cup of lentils. I vary the recipe by using either turkey, back, or regular bacon. I never fry the ingredients in the bacon fat. 3/4 cup lentils (preferably French green lentils), 6 oz thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips, 2 leeks (white and pale green parts only) finely chopped, 2 celery ribs finely chopped, 1 large carrot finely chopped, 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar, or to taste, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 8 large eggs, 1 cup baby spinach Cover lentils with cold water by 2 inches in a saucepan, then simmer uncovered, until just tender, about 20 minutes.

While lentils are simmering, cook bacon in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, leaving fat in skillet. Add leeks, celery, and carrot to skillet and cook, stirring, until just tender. Add vinegar and boil until most of liquid is evaporated. Remove skillet from heat and stir in tarragon, half of bacon, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm, covered, reserving skillet. Drain lentils well in a large sieve. Stir into vegetable mixture and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm, covered. Wipe skillet with paper towels, then add oil and heat over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Fry eggs in batches until whites are just set but yolks are still runny and season with salt and pepper. Divide lentil salad among 4 plates and top with spinach, eggs, and remaining bacon. Guest Chef Willa Reddig Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookies I received this recipe from a friend. To be a gluten-free recipe use gluten-free flour or try finely ground nuts to thicken. 2 3/4 c. walnuts, 3 c. icing sugar, 1/2 c. + 3 tsp. cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, 4 egg whites at room temperature, 1 tsp. vanilla - Toast walnuts then chop walnuts - Line sheets with parchment - Sift icing sugar, cocoa, salt in large bowl - Add nuts to dry mixture - Whip whites and vanilla - Stir whites into dry mixture until combined and let rest 5 minutes - Spoon onto sheets; bake 15 minutes at F - Let rest a few minutes, and then move to rack If it's a bit runny, one can add flour (so much for flourless!!) and baking powder. (I added about 2 tsp. Gluten Free flour and about 3/4 tsp. baking powder) Linda s Recipes Whole Wheat Cheese Biscuits adapted from Company s Coming 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 4 tsp. baking powder, 1 tbsp. sugar, ¾ tsp. salt, ¾ cup grated cheddar cheese, 4 tbsp. cold margarine, ¾ cup milk Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl. Cut margarine into dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly. Stir in cheese. Add milk. Stir with fork until soft dough is formed. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead gently 8-10 times. Pat dough into rectangle about ¾-inch thick. Cut into squares. Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 425 F for 12-15 minutes. Banana Muffins from Company s Coming

1 ¾ cup flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, ¼ tsp. salt, ½ cup margarine softened, 1 ¼ cups sugar, 2 eggs, ¼ cup sour cream, 1 cup mashed bananas (3) In a large bowl cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Stir in sour cream and bananas. In small bowl, mix flour with baking soda and salt. Add to wet ingredients, stirring just until blended ignore the lumps. Bake at 375 F for 20-25 minutes. If using a muffin top pan, bake 15-17 minutes. Fiesta Chicken Pasta adapted from Kraft 3 cups rotini pasta uncooked, 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces, 2 cups chopped red peppers (about 1 ½ medium), ¼ cup Italian dressing, ¼ tsp. chili powder, 2 tomatoes chopped, ½ cup salsa, ½ cup sour cream, ½ cup grated marble cheese Cook pasta as directed on package. In large frying pan on medium heat the oil. Add chicken. Cook and stir 6 minutes. Add peppers, dressing and chili powder; cook 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in chopped tomatoes, salsa, and sour cream. Drain pasta. Toss with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and serve. Nancy s Recipes Nancy s Easy Spinach Salad I was at a dinner party before Christmas and we were served this great spinach salad. The hostess didn t really have a recipe as she got an oil/soya sauce ratio off the internet. We have had many of these salads with my own improvisations. Enough baby spinach to create a salad for the amount of guests or family; washed well drained and chilled. I removed the stems but you don t have to as long as the leaves are bite sized. Recipe ¼ cup pine nuts (small salad) Substituted ½ cup chopped salted cashews, or sunflower seeds (large salad) 1 cup dried cranberries ¼ cup dried cranberries 4-5 sliced cleaned raw mushrooms 8-12 diced mushrooms 1/3 cup Feta Cheese (wet not dried) ½-3/4 cup Feta Cheese Dressing: Ratio 1 part vinegar or soya sauce to three parts olive oil. You can try 1/8 cup red wine vinegar, 1/8 cup soya sauce and 1 cup oil. Put in a glass jar and shake well. Dressing keeps for a long time if you triple the recipe. Use a less sodium soya sauce as one such as China Lily is very salty. We found that we enjoyed the salad even more when it was made about 4 hours before dinner and kept in the fridge. Olive oil turns cloudy and thick in the refrigerator so the dressing adhered to the salad really well. By the time dinner was going to be served with the salad on the table the cloudiness was gone but the salad was well marinated. You can also experiment with a variety of herbal vinegars without the soya sauce.

Not Your Traditional Beet Borscht This recipe came from Peak Of The Market and we enjoyed it very much. I had many beets in the fridge from the garden and just recently made this soup. 8 beets previously cooked and peeled (you can use frozen beets for this), 8 cups water or use chicken stock, 2 large carrots diced, 2 potatoes diced, 2 whole ribs of celery diced, 1 cup French green beans or diced green beans. To a medium stock pot and 1 onion diced, 1 clove of garlic minced and 3 tbsp. of butter (margarine). Sauté slowly until the onions are translucent. To this pot add the 8 cups stock and add all the vegetables except the beets and beans; bring to a boil then simmer until the vegetables are tender. Add beets and beans and add: 1 can tomato soup undiluted and heat thoroughly then add 1 cup half and half cream or milk; heat again. Add salt and pepper to taste and either fresh dill or dried. Serve. You can serve with some sour cream or serve without. Easy Seared Scallops I ve featured another scallop dish before but this one was very easy and very fast. Serve on a real shell. As you can see in the picture I placed some baby spinach leaves on the bottom to add colour and of course you can eat the garnish. Nancy s Note: Clean scallops by soaking covered in water and with 1 tbsp. of lemon juice. The lemon doesn t add any flavour but freshens up the taste as these are obviously not fresh. Something I highly recommend for canned shrimp or crab. Remove the tough little piece of muscle on the side. It gets even tougher when cooked then dry scallops well after draining. Buy enough large scallops to serve your party as an appetizer. 1 lb. will serve 3 people. Make sure the scallops are dried and dry after soaking them to clean them. This dish takes about 8 minutes to prepare and serve. In a non-stick pan or cast iron skillet heat 2 tsp. olive oil and 2 tsp. unsalted butter to the almost smoking stage. On both sides of the scallops coarsely grind fresh pepper and sea salt. Immediately place in pan without touching each other. Cook for 1.5 minutes. There should be a nice golden crust; then individually and rapidly turn over all the scallops and cook for another 1.5 minutes on the other side. Remove from heat and serve immediately. The scallops should be translucent with a nice crust on the outside top and bottom. The last bit of cooking will continue as the pan is so very hot and the fish will be still cooking from its own heat. Enjoy... Twist On French Toast I was recently watching the Food Channel and I saw a chef in one of those food buses make a version of her French Toast. The secret was Panko crumbs and cardamom. If you google French Toast and Panko crumbs there are many versions so it isn t as new as I thought. The bread gets a crispy buttery flavour yum. Place a large skillet or griddle on stove and place on a medium heat. Add ¼ cup butter or if you like an equal mixture of olive oil and butter. Make a typical French Toast recipe:

3 large eggs, 1 ¼ cup milk or half and half, ¾ tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 tsp. cardamom, 1 cup Panko bread crumbs, and 8 slices bread of your choice. Mix everything together except the Panko crumbs. Place bread in the mixture for about 30 seconds then transfer to a plate with the crumbs and coat both sides of the bread. Then place into hot skillet. When the one side is golden brown flip and continue to cook until golden brown. Before placing a new batch of toast in the skillet grease with more butter or butter and oil. Keep warm then serve with your favourite topping such as maple syrup. The cardamom adds a nice flavour twist. Serves 4 with 2 slices of French Toast. Candied Acorn Squash We still have a lot of squash from the garden last year so as you can see the acorn squash was turning yellow. This was another Peak of the Market recipe that appealed to me. Very sweet almost dessert like so I really enjoyed. Metric Ingredient Imperial 1 medium acorn squash 1 50 ml maple syrup 1/4 cup 30 ml melted butter 2 tbsp..5 ml ground cinnamon or ground nutmeg 1/8 tsp. Cut squash in half lengthwise, remove and discard seeds. Arrange squash halves, cut side down, in baking dish. Bake in preheated 350 F oven for 45 minutes. Turn squash halves cut side up. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together maple syrup, butter and cinnamon. Spoon syrup mixture into centres of squash halves. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes more or until squash is tender and golden brown. Serves two (but in my case 1). Quilters Recipes of the Month! Linda s Mini Blueberry Muffins from Little Miss Muffin Tops 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats, 1 cup flour, ½ cup oat bran, ½ cup sugar, 1/3 cup coconut, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. cinnamon, ½ tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. salt, 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (3), ½ cup plain yogurt, 3 tbsp. margarine melted, 1 egg, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries In a large bowl, combine, oats, flour, oat bran, sugar, coconut, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. In medium bowl, whisk together bananas, yogurt, margarine, egg and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix just until moistened. Batter will be thick. Gently fold in blueberries. Note: if blueberries were frozen toss with 1 tbsp. flour before adding to batter. Spoon batter into greased 24 mini-muffin tins. Bake for 12-14 minutes at 375 F or until toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Sharon s Skor Shortbread 1 cup unsalted butter, ½ cup icing sugar, 1 ½ cups flour, ½ tsp. salt, ½ cup dried chopped cranberries, ½ cup chopped pecans Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In large bowl beat butter with icing sugar. In small bowl stir together flour and salt. Gradually stir into butter mixture. Stir in cranberries and pecans. Pinch off about 1 tbsp. dough and roll into a ball. Put on cookie sheet. Continue with remaining dough. Space balls 1 apart. Press down to flatten slightly. Bake in center of oven till golden (12-15 minutes). Let cool 5 minutes before removing from pan. Refrigerate in airtight container for 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. Sharon s Note: I replaced the cranberries with Skor bits; and the pecans with toasted hazelnuts! Linda s Pina Colada Cheesecake (from a friend) Crust: 1 cup graham wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup Angel flake coconut, 1/4 cup melted butter Filling: 3 packages (250 g) cream cheese, softened, ¾ cup sugar, 4 eggs, 1 cup sour cream, 1 can (355 ml) cream of coconut (stir it well before pouring), 1 can (398 ml) crushed pineapple, drained, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon lemon juice Method: Make crust, mixing the 3 crust ingredients. Press into bottom and about an inch up sides of a 9 spring form pan. In a large bowl, using electric mixer beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until blended. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into pan. Bake at 350 F degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until center is just set. Run knife around cake; cool completely in pan. Chill at least 6 hours or overnight. Top with pineapple and/or toasted coconut. You can also glue some toasted coconut around the sides with a little pineapple jam. Glenys Quilter s Kitchen Soup 1½ lb. hamburger, 1 large onion diced, 4 celery stocks sliced, 1 large can diced tomatoes, 2 cups fresh mushrooms sliced, 3 large carrots peeled and sliced, 1 can corn, 1 can kidney beans, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 3 cans consume or equivalent water/beef broth, Worcestershire Sauce, Oyster Sauce, Sugar Spices to taste: chili powder, ground ginger, curry powder, oregano, or rosemary etc. In large pot or Dutch oven, brown hamburger. Add onions and celery, and sauté until tender. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots, corn, kidney beans, mushroom soup and broth. Add desired spices, Worcestershire and Oyster sauces to taste. Simmer one hour or until veggies are cooked. Soup reheats well in crock-pot and tastes even better the next day! Linda s Bacon Asiago Biscuits Company s Coming

3 cups flour, 2 tbsp. baking powder, ¼ tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. sugar, 3 tbsp. cold margarine or butter, 2/3 cup Hormel Crumbled Bacon Bits, ½ cup grated Asiago cheese, 1 ¼ - 1 ½ cups milk Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in large bowl. Cut in margarine until mixture is crumbly. Add bacon bits and Asiago cheese. Make a well in center. Add milk and stir until mixture just comes together. Do not over mix. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead gently 6-8 times. Cut dough in half. Pat each ball into ¾ thick circle. Using a sharp knife cut each circle into 8 triangles. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 F for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm. Glenys Split Pea and Ham Soup 1 ½ pkg. yellow split peas (450 g. each), 1 large onion diced, 5 cloves of garlic crushed, 1 ½ cups chopped carrot, 1 large ham bone and left over diced ham, 3-4 quarts water (use broth if desired, or left over juice from cooking the ham) In large Dutch oven sauté onion and garlic in small amount of olive oil. Add water, split peas, and ham bone. Bring to a boil, and simmer 2-3 hours until peas are done. Remove ham bone, cut off any meat, and add additional diced ham and carrots. Cook until carrots are done, about 30 minutes. Nice served with freshly chopped kale.