Some of the best recipes are the ones that get passed around between friends. One of my oldest friends, Donna, gave me this recipe many years ago and it continues to be a favourite – especially of my son who loves blueberries. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have blueberries in my freezer so I can make this cake pretty much anytime. It is great for dessert with whipped cream or ice cream and wonderful as a morning coffee treat. Fresh blueberries are still around so give this a try – you may want to put some extra blueberries in the freezer.
Archives for September 2009
Donna’s Blueberry Coffeecake
6 tbsp. butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup milk
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cloves (or allspice)
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Topping:
½ cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup butter
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter an 8X8 or 7X11 baking pan – I prefer to use a glass one.
Prepare the topping: In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon removing any lumps. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or fork. Mixture should be quite crumbly. Do not overmix it. Set aside.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cloves in another bowl. Set aside.
In separate bowl, beat butter and sugar with hand held electric mixer until well-blended and creamy. Beat in eggs until mixture is well combined and fluffy. Add one third of the flour mixture and beat just until combined. Add ½ the milk, beating just to combine. Repeat, ending with the last third of the flour mixture. Do not overbeat. Quickly fold in blueberries. Note: If blueberries are frozen, place them in a sieve or colander and quickly rinse to thaw only slightly, shake to remove excess water and quickly fold into the batter.
Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle topping evenly over the top.
Bake at 350 F for 35 – 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Time may vary according to the size of your pan and how frozen your berries are, if using.
Serve warm with whipped or ice cream. Leftovers are delicious warmed very briefly in the microwave for a few seconds.
Curried Shrimp
This shrimp curry is similar to one my mother used to make for parties. Quite easy to make and fairly quick to put together, it is another family favourite. If you keep it mild enough, even kids will enjoy this!! Half the fun is all the condiments to go with the curry. I like to sprinkle raisins, peanuts, and coconut over my curry then have the chopped banana and chutney on the side. Be careful not to get carried away with the condiments or you will begin to lose the rich creamy flavour of the curry. The recipe can be made ahead but be sure not to add the shrimp until about 5 minutes before serving and simply cook long enough to heat the shrimp through. The shrimp will get tough if left to cook too long in the sauce. Leftovers, if you have them, reheat well.
Curried Shrimp
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped tart apple (optional)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. flour
3 – 5 tbsp. mild curry paste (whichever degree of “hot” you like)
1 – 10 oz. can (1 1/4 cups) chicken broth
1 cup cream or milk
1/4 cup sherry
1 lb. cooked shrimp (could substitute cooked chicken)
Saute onion and apple in butter until softened without browning – about 5 minutes. Add celery and saute about 2 more minutes. Stir in flour and curry paste and cook gently about 5 minutes. Add slowly, stirring constantly, the chicken broth and cream or milk. Cook until thickened. Stir in sherry. Simmer at least 10 minutes, up to 30 minutes on very low heat. Stir in shrimp and heat through. (Do not add shrimp until almost ready to serve or they will overcook and become tough.) Serve over rice with condiments.
Condiments: chopped banana, raisins, peanuts, flaked coconut, and chutney (I like to use a great Indian Major Grey’s mango chutney which I have only found at specialty Middle Eastern grocery store).
*I use Patak’s Mild Curry Paste which can still be quite hot if you add enough. Other curry pastes (Tikka, Masala, Tandori) will work but will give a different flavour to the curry.
Orange Chicken Stir-Fry
September 12, 2009
Often I find that figuring out what to make is half of the problem. Today I am posting recipes to give some ideas on what to make for dinner in the next week. We now have a great Print feature so you can easily print out the recipes – thanks, Frank (Studio 74)!!
A fast and easy stir-fry.
2 – 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders, cut in bite-size pieces (place on paper towel to dry for better browning)
2 medium carrots, sliced thinly on the diagonal – optional
2 stalks celery, sliced thinly
1 small onion, cut in 8 wedges (lengthwise – try to leave root on)
1 small red or yellow pepper, cut in strips
2 – 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. soy sauce*
¾ cup orange juice (or ¼ cup frozen concentrate plus ½ cup water)
¼ cup chicken stock
3 tbsp. soy sauce*
¼ cup brown sugar
½ – 1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tbsp. cornstarch
¼ to ½ cup salted cashews, peanuts, or toasted sliced almonds – optional
Sesame seeds to sprinkle on top – optional
Hot cooked rice
Gather and prepare all ingredients before starting to stir-fry including starting the rice.
Heat a large skillet or wok until very hot. Add oil and heat for a few seconds. Stir-fry the chicken, carrots, celery, and onion over high to medium-high heat or until the chicken is just cooked through. Sprinkle the 2 tbsp. soy sauce over chicken and toss well. Reduce heat to medium. In large glass measuring cup, mix the orange juice, chicken stock, 3 tbsp. soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and cornstarch until well blended. Stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil; cook until clear and thickened – cook 1 or 2 minutes longer. Stir in nuts just before serving. Serve over hot cooked rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
*Soy sauces vary in strength of flavour and saltiness. You may wish to use more or less according to your tastes.
NOTE: I have steamed some broccoli separately and stirred it in after the sauce was cooked. It was delicious with the orangey sauce. Asparagus or green beans would be delicious also.
BBQ Salmon with Dill Sauce
If desired, sprinkle salmon steaks or fillets with Montreal Steak spice or other grill seasoning. Grill salmon directly on greased grill or on greased foil until fish flakes with a fork OR salmon can be baked in a greased baking dish at 400 F . Generally, fish takes about 10 minutes per inch of thickness on high heat. A bit longer on low heat. Do not overcook – salmon is best when just barely cooked at the thickest part.
Mix together, except sour cream, at least 1 hour before serving:
1 cup thick yogurt*
1/3 cup mayonnaise
4 tbsp. finely chopped onion,shallot or green onion
zest of 1 lemon – about 1 tbsp.
2 – 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 – 4 tbsp. chopped fresh dill (or 2 tsp. dried)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup sour cream or additional yogurt – optional
Taste the sauce and decide if you want to add the sour cream which makes the flavours less intense.
May be used as a baste while cooking or simply served with the plain grilled salmon.
* For thick yogurt: Make sure to buy a plain unflavoured yogurt which does not contain gelatin. Line a colander or sieve with coffee filters (you may need 2 or 3), set the colander over a bowl, and pour in the yogurt. Let sit (in fridge if for longer than 1 hour) to drain off excess liquid. If it gets too thick, simply stir some of the liquid back in.
Judy’s Notes:
1. This dill sauce is delicious with small new potatoes or a baked potato and steamed green beans.
2. I personally prefer salmon fillets. The skin will become crispy if put directly on the grill. My husband loves it and I don’t touch it – the cooked salmon separates easily from the skin which keeps the salmon more moist while cooking.
Honey Mustard Chicken
HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN
1 whole chicken, cut up or about 8 pieces of chicken – drumsticks, thighs, and/or breasts (cut in half)
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup prepared yellow mustard
1/2 – 1 tsp. curry or ginger powder – optional
Line a 9 X 13 pan with foil – see note below. Spray with Pam or grease lightly. Lay chicken in pan, skin side up in a single layer – there should be a bit of space between each piece – do not crowd pieces.
Bake at 350 F. for about 20 minutes. Drain any fat which has accummulated. Mix honey, mustard and spice, if using. Spoon over the chicken and continue to bake for about another 40 to 50 minutes or until done, basting once or twice. Tilt pan and skim any accumulated fat. Serve sauce over rice.
This is so easy and it is one of our family’s very favourites.
Judy’s notes:
1. To line a pan with foil: Turn the pan upside down and mold the foil around it. Flip back over and fit the molded foil into the pan. This is very quick and easy and prevents poking holes in the foil as you try to press it into the corners.
2. You could use skinless chicken if you prefer. Be sure to baste often. If using boneless cooking time will be less.
Raspberry Sauce
Great with peaches and ice cream for Peach Melba or with Pavlova!!
1 ½ cups raspberries
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. framboise or water
1 – 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice – optional, if needed
Mix raspberries, ½ cup sugar, and ½ cup water in saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat for a slow boil and cook for 1 – 2 minutes. Stir well and put through a sieve. Return raspberry puree to saucepan.
Mix 1 tbsp. cornstarch with 1 tbsp. framboise or water. Stir into hot raspberry puree and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Taste and add lemon juice if desired.
May be served slightly warm or at room temperature.
Pavlova
September 11, 2009
Pavlova is one of our family’s very favourite desserts. They are surprisingly easy to make with a little practice and can be quite a showpiece for your dinner party.
NOTE: Pavlovas should be baked in dry weather!! Otherwise they will be stickier than they should be.
4 large egg whites
2 pinches salt
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla – optional
Whipping cream and fruit – kiwis, mangoes and strawberries are traditional. Any soft fruit or berries are also delicious.
Optional: Raspberry Sauce – see separate post. Especially good with peaches on the pavlova.
LIGHTLY butter a 12 inch pizza pan or cookie sheet (the shinier the better) and line with parchment paper or foil. LIGHTLY butter the paper and dust with cornstarch. Preheat oven to 300 F.
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Add the sugar mixture to the egg whites gradually (about 2 tbsp. at a time), beating well after each addition. Mixture should be very stiff and shiny. Quickly beat in vinegar and vanilla only until well blended.
Spoon meringue into centre of baking pan. Using the back of a large dessert spoon, shape into approximately 9 inch circle, smoothing out top (I use a metal spatula drawn over the top). Then create a slight indentation in the top – this helps control cracking.
Put pavlova in oven and immediately turn the oven down to 250 F. Bake for 1 ½ hours (longer for crispier and if oven is not as hot). Turn oven off and leave pavlova in oven to cool and dry out for several hours (best done overnight).
Just before serving, peel off wax paper, spoon whipping cream onto pavlova, and decorate top with fruit. Raspberry Sauce may be drizzled over the top, if desired.
NOTE: Pavlovas do crack so just cover the cracks with whipped cream!!
Optional chocolate layer: Melt 6 – 8 oz. of chocolate (dark, semi-sweet or milk is your choice) and stir in 3 or 4 tbsp. cream. Cool to room temperature then spread over the pavlova. Allow to set before continuing with the whipped cream, etc.
ENJOY!!
California Tortellini Soup
September 11, 2009
Finally, up and running with my “cookbook”!!! It is overwhelming to know which recipes to share first so, in general, I will be posting what I’m currently cooking or recipes that someone has asked me for recently. This California Tortellini soup was passed around at work many years ago and is loved by everyone who tries it. Hope you enjoy it too!
I know that people like to see pictures and I will be including as many pictures as I can when I get it all figured out. I’m still learning how this all works so if you see dumb mistakes – please bear with me!! And feel free to let me know!
Can be made ahead!!
2 mild Italian sausage
1 c. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 cups beef broth
1/2 c. dry red wine (or 1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire. sauce)
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 c. thin sliced carrots
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
8 oz. can tomato sauce (or small can tomato paste)
1 1/2 c. sliced zucchini (or chopped)
3 T. parsley
1 green pepper, diced
8 oz. tortellini (about 2 cups) – any flavour, I like rainbow cheese
(I use half of a 350g. package)
freshly grated Parmesan to sprinkle on top
Remove casing and brown sausages in a large pot, stirring to crumble the sausage. Remove sausage and reserve 1 tsp. drippings. Saute onion and garlic over medium heat till tender (but not browned). Add ingredients to tomato sauce, add sausage. Simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes.
(To make ahead: Remove from the heat at this point. Add the zucchini, parsley and green pepper. Refrigerate or freeze. If frozen, thaw completely without stirring (to avoid breaking vegetables up) to continue – may take up to 24 hours.)
Stir in zucchini, parsley, green pepper and tortellini. Simmer uncovered for about 35 or 40 minutes or until tortellini are done.
Top with parmesan when serving.
Note: If you are tempted, as I was, to slightly increase each of the ingredients, you will end up with more of a stew!!