Ranch Dressing

New recipe....

Ranch Dressing

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/8 - 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 tsp dried parsley
• 1/8 tsp garlic salt
• 1/8 tsp onion salt
• 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/8 tsp dill weed
• fresh cracked pepper, to taste

1. Place everything in a mason jar and shake. Chill and serve.

Quinoa, Feta and Black Beans

Here's a keeper of a recipe. Great as a side dish, main, or even served cold as a salad! And very healthy, too! Enjoy!

Quinoa, Feta and Black Beans

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• (optional - 1 cup diced onions and/or peppers)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cups organic quinoa, rinsed
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 - 15oz can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup corn
• 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1. In a large saucepan, soften garlic in olive oil, over medium heat (about 1 minute).
2. Add broth and quinoa and stir. Sprinkle in cumin and paprika. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed (it's okay to stir it every 5 minutes or so).
3. Remove lid from pan and stir in beans, corn, feta and cilantro. Leave on heat for 1-2 minutes, allowing corn and beans to warm.
4. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro on top. Enjoy!

Raspberry Sauce

Too rediculously easy of a recipe to post?! Probably....but again, I use this as a reference library and so I thought what the heck?! I have made this a few times recently, for a few different reasons (including for my latest cupcake flavour). Might as well make a note of this one, too....

Strained Raspberry Sauce

• 1 generous cup frozen raspberries
• 1/8 cup white sugar

1. Fill a 1-cup pyrex meausring cup with raspberries, then sprinkle with sugar. Leave on counter for about an hour, or until raspberries are fully thawed.
2. Using a fork, mash and stir the mixture as best you can.
3. Place a large pc of cheesecloth over a bigger pyrex measure-er, or a medium sized bowl and secure with an elastic. Pour raspberry mixture onto cheesecloth and allow to strain for a few hours, or overnight in the fridge (covered).
4. Using a spoon, press down on the raspberries, collecting as much liquid as you can. Make sure you carefully squeeze any excess liquid from the cheesecloth before removing as well.
5. This is great served in ice cream, over ice cream, combined in a buttercream, or any other way you want. So basic, but good to know and great to have on hand! Enjoy!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Ice Cream

Okay, while my vanilla bean ice cream is insanely decadent and delicious, this ice cream ties for my favourite (so far) and perhaps is even more decadent. The flavours are so rich, yet perfectly smooth and creamy in your mouth. If you own an ice cream maker, you HAVE to try this recipe. This could easily be made into any other cream cheese fruit combo, or as plain vanilla, too. Enjoy!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Ice Cream

• 8 oz cream cheese, very soft
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup half & half cream
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• pinch of salt
• Strained Raspberry Sauce

1. Mix together all ingredients, except for raspberry sauce, until smooth. Place in a covered container in fridge for 1-24 hours.
2. Make sure ice cream maker bowl is good and frozen. Remove mixture from fridge and quickly stir. Turn ice cream maker on and slowly pour mixture into bowl. Add raspberry sauce.
3. Allow mixture to cream/freeze for 20-25 minutes, or however long your machine takes to make the mixture thick and creamy.
4. Serve, enjoy and thank me later. Oh - and this freezes perfectly in an air tight container (but good luck having leftovers!).

Rediculously Decadent Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

One of the gifts I received for Christmas was an ice cream maker. I have wanted one of these all my life. Seriously! I love ice cream, but am pretty picky about what kinds. There is a local homemade ice cream shop that I frequent in the summer (and have even had a few birthday cakes ordered for me from there!). In 2011, we toured Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory, compelte with delicious samples. Breyers ice cream is "okay". Hagen-Daaz vanilla bean probably tops my list for a store bought treat....

Anyway, I was flipping through the recipe book that came with my ice cream maker and noticed that most of the recipes called for raw egg whites. I am not a fan of using raw egg in my cooking or baking (of all the baking I do, I have never made royal icing (or any other icing) with raw egg!). I think my biggest concern are the two Little D's. I had salmonella as a baby and have been instilled with a fear (from my mother) that raw egg is essentially the devil and should be avoided. SO - I knew that I needed to either find or come up with an ice cream recipe that didn't use raw egg.

I thought I'd start with basic vanilla. Well, super creamy and rich vanilla bean, vanilla. Even though I've only made this a few times, I am pretty certain the recipe has been perfected. This ice cream is so smooth, so rich (in a good way), and so delicious. And the best part?! With the help of my ice cream maker, it's oh so easy!!! I highly suggest you invest is this handy kitchen appliance and try homemade ice cream for yourself. If you can make it at home, why buy it at the store?!

Decadent Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

• 2 cups half & half cream
• 1 cup whipping cream (*I warned you this wasn't a diet food!)
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
• pinch of salt

1. Freeze bowl of ice cream maker, until all liquid is solid.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all above ingredients. You can make this ahead of time and store in the fridge for a few hours, or use immediately.
3. When ready, turn ice cream maker on and stream mixture into the bowl. Allow to cream for 20 minutes ish (or however long your particular ice cream maker takes to make mixture thick and smooth).
4. Serve and ENJOY! If any ice cream remains, this freezes well in an air tight container.

**I did use a slight cheat by using vanilla bean paste in leui of real vanilla bean. Again, this recipe is perfect as is - especially the easiness of it. Please let me know if you try it!

Personal Recipe Library

Just thought I would make a note of the fact that my previous blog (365 Healthy Recipes in 365 Days) has proven to be a very useful tool for me in the kitchen. I am on that blog looking up recipes at least 2-3 times per week. If you haven't been on the blog before (or not in a while), please take some time to browse the recipes and ask any questions you may have! I guaruntee you will find a few keepers or more!

I am hoping that this blog will be another place that I can add and look up my favourite recipes. I strive to make homemade as often as I can, and of course, to make our family eat as healthy as we can. But we do indulge and thus, you can expect to see recipes that may not be low calorie or low in fat, or healthy in very many ways on here, too...BUT - they will all be homemade, using real ingredients. I do my best at trying to avoid additives and preservatives to our diet....That's all I'll say on that for now! Cheers!

Homemade Granola

Homemade cereal is something I with that I made more often. Little D loves to eat it for breakfast, aslmost daily. Big D enjoys granola, and cereal the odd time (especially if it has chocolate in it!!). Both of them enjoyed this granola. Here's the recipe, as I made it last week. Next time I will likely alter it, and probably the time after, too. I'll use what I have on hand and what I'm in the mood for that day. Remember the words of Michael Smith - "A recipe is merely words on paper; a guidline; a starting point...". Enjoy!

Homemade Granola

• 4 cups rolled oats
• 4 cups kamut flakes
• 1 cup wheat germ (if you buy toasted wheat germ, I'd cut this in half or more...)
• 1 cup oat bran
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 1 cup chopped almonds
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 3/4 veggie oil (or coconut oil if you have it)
• 1/2 cup honey (**or less)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (**or less)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (**or less)
• **Play with the honey/syrup/sugar ratio to get your personal desired sweetness**
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
• Various dried fruit

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a very large bowl (or your biggest pot) stir together top 9 ingredients. Set aside...
2. In a small saucepan over med-high heat, stir together oil, honey, syrup, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Pour syrup mixture over oat and nut mixture and gently stir until evenly coated and combined.
4. Spread 1/4 of the mixture on a large cookie sheet, in an even layer. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, gently stirring/tossing every 5 minutes. I put the oven on convection and used 2 cookie trays. If you only have one, repeat this step for the remaining 3/4 of the mixture. Remove from oven once it's evenly browned (but not too dark!).
5. Allow to cool on plates or another flat surface. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container or bag. When serving, mix in dried fruit of your choice. Very tasty served with vanilla yogurt! Enjoy!

More Recipes Coming!

Gah! I have meant to write more recipes on here (and even have a pile sitting next to the computer waiting to be uploaded) but I haven't had a chance this week to get them up. They are coming, though. Promise! Stick with me..... :)

Acorn Squash Soup

We enjoyed this soup on Sunday evening. It was my first time making it, and certainly won't be my last. This recipe is a keeper!

ACORN SQUASH SOUP

• 1 acorn squash
• 2 tbsp finely chopped onion
• 1 tbsp butter
• 4 cups (ish) chicken broth
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• pinch of salt and pepper, to taste

1. Slice acorn squash in half and remove seeds. Place in baking dish, cut side down. Add about 1 inch of water to dish and cover. Bake in 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, or until tender.
2. While squash is baking, melt butter in small frypan. Add onions and cook until soft. Remove from heat.
3. Remove squash from oven, scoop flesh from the skin, and place directly into food processor. Add onions, sugar and cream cheese. Start processor and while it's running, stream chicken broth into mixture, until desired consistency is reached (I used all 4 cups, might try a little less next time).
4. Season with s&p to taste. Pour soup into saucepan over low heat until fully heated and ready to serve. ENJOY!

Marinated and Baked Salmon

Of course the inspiration for this recipe comes from Allrecipes. We had this for dinner last night and it was amazing. Everyone gobbled it up! Enjoy!

MARINATED OVEN BAKED SALMON FILETS

• 2 lbs salmon filets, skin removed
• 1/4 cup soya sauce
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon pepper
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt

1. In a large ziploc bag, mix together all ingredients (except for salmon filets). Zip and shake until thoroughly combined. Place salmon filets in bag and shake to cover. Leave to marinate in fridge for 1-24 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease large baking dish. Remove salmon filets from ziploc bag and arrange in a single layer in greased dish. Pour half of the remaining marinade over salmon.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.
4. Remove from oven, serve and ENJOY!

French Bread

Here's a recipe for delicious French Bread. We enjoyed this last night, still warm from the oven. Yum!

FRENCH BREAD

• 2 cups warm water
• 5-6 cups AP flour
• 2 tsp dry active yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp white sugar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer (or other large bowl), mix 1 cup warm water, 1 cup flour, 1 tsp yeast, and 1/2 tsp sugar. Cover and leave on counter overnight (or at least a few hours, anyway).
2. Remove cover from bowl, add remaining water, yeast and sugar, as well as 2 more cups of flour, oil and salt. Using dough hook (or wooden spoon) begin to stir together and knead. Once everything is combined, continue to add more flour and knead, until dough is smooth and elastic. I used about 5 1/2 cups and kneaded for 8 minutes.
3. Form dough into a ball and lightly oil. Place in a warm area and allow to rise until at least double (about 1 hour, 2 won't hurt!). I like to rise/proof in microwave. To do this, warm up a cup of water for 2 minutes. Open door quickly and place bowl with dough into microwave, leaving cup in there, too. Close door and leave for 1-2 hours.
4. After dough has doubled, gently "pour" out of bowl onto greased and floured countertop. Form into 2 elongated loaves. Place loaves of lightly greased french bread pan, or regular cookie sheet. Cut 3-4 diagonal slits on top of each loaf. Lightly spray each loaf with a little bit of olive oil. Cover and let rise in a warm area for 30-45 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees while dough is rising. I like to place the pan (with the dough) on the middle of stovetop, allowing the heat from the warming oven to help rise the dough.
5. Bake loaves in warm oven for 30-35 minutes. Remove and allow to cool slightly before slicing. I prefer my crust to be a little softer, so always brush my loaves with a little butter immediately after removing from oven.
ENJOY!

Recipes

I'm back! And I will expand this post......but right now want to get a few recipes out there before I forget! Woo-hoo!