Recipes Archives | Page 2 of 5 | EverythingMom (2024)

Surprisingly kale is a huge hit in our family. The kids will go through a whole head or two in one sitting, usually in the form of kale chips, but I bet they would love this Winter Kale Salad with Pine Nuts from the Canadian Women Ski Jumpers.

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The darker days and colder weather were somewhat bearable during the holidays with the glow of Christmas lights and permission to indulge just a little. Now the days are just cold and dark. Baked pasta is a perfect dish for this time of year.

Actually baked pasta is great anytime, I love the smokiness you get from cooking it on the barbecue, but it’s just as lovely done in the oven. I have to thank my husband for introducing me to cooking pasta this way when we first met. Pasta was always something that was cooked on the stove or in a wok and served with butter and spice or a sauce. But take that dish and layer it with cheese and bake it in the oven and you have a whole different meal. Baked pasta is a family favourite and usually doesn’t last long in our home.

When the folks at Pataks send along some new sauces to try I was immediately drawn to their Tomato & Cumin cooking saucebased on a traditional Balti recipe. Of course my first thought was how this sauce would be perfect as a base to baked pasta, giving a family favourite a little Indian twist.

The nice thing about a baked pasta dish is that you can customize it anyway you want, using whatever ingredients you have in your refrigerator. Meatballs are something I like to make in bulk and freeze in small bags for just about anything. They are perfect to add into a pasta dish with some cooked peppers, just reheat them in the oven while you are cooking your pasta. After you’ve drained your pasta add in the meatballs, peppers, and Pataks’ Tomato and Cumin sauce and mix.

You could probably just serve your dish as is but I prefer the baked variety. The secret to baking a pasta dish is alternating the pasta and the cheese, creating a layer of cheese over each layer of pasta, like you would when making a lasgna. This ensures the cheese gets added through your whole dish versus just on the top. Of course your top layer has to be cheese.

I usually bake my pasta in the oven set at 350F for about 20-minutes. This isn’t about cooking the food as you’ve done that already, this is about letting the flavours of everything blend under the heat and of course melt the cheese. End your cooking under the broiler for about 5 to 10-minutes to crisp-up the top of the pasta and cheese, my favourite part of any baked pasta dish. It’s liked the fried bread circles from toad-in-a-hole. Mmm.

The Pataks Tomato & Cumin sauce adds a little spice, almost like a chili. The kids devoured their serving and requested the leftovers for lunch. This Tomato & Cumin Baked Pasta dish offered a nice Indian twist to a family favourite. I can’t wait to try this on the barbecue too.

Disclosure: I am part of the Patak’s Canada Ambassador program with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions and experiences on this blog are my own.

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Perhaps it is because I don’t eat chocolate often that I find myself a bit of a chocolate snob. If I’m going to indulge in such a delightful treat the chocolate must be really good. Green & Black’s Organic fair trade is one of my favourites and with this pork recipe I’m even inspired to use it in my cooking.

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The holidays always have me craving shortbread. I’m a bit of a traditionalist but I loved the Apple Cider Shortbread Bars I made last year. And today I discovered that shortbread can also be savory, like these Asiago and Prosciutto Shortbread Crackers.

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My kids love baking or maybe it is more about the decorating that interests them. Rice Krispie treats are a great way to do both. Now your sweet treat creations can also benefit children this holiday season with the Kellogg’s Rice Krispies* & The Salvation Army NEW Treats for Toys Holiday Program.

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Some movies aimed at kids can be mind numbing to watch as a family but then you catch a movie that kids and parents can enjoy equally. I’m talking about Dispicable Me 2. On December 10 you can enjoy a minion adventure in your living room with the Blu-ray Combo pack release and to get you into the mood toss together a little Minion Munch.

This new dynamite party mix, with banana, peanut butter and just a touch of chocolate tossed in for good measure, is one tasty treat!

MINION MUNCH CHEX ® PARTY MIX

Ingredients

2 cups Honey Nut Chex® cereal
2 cups Chocolate Chex® cereal
2 cups Banana Nut Cheeerios® cereal
1 cup dry-roasted peanuts
1⁄4 cup butter or margarine
1⁄4 cup packed brown sugar
1⁄4 cup peanut butter
1 cup freeze-dried banana chips
1⁄2 cup candy-coated chocolate candies

* If you can’t find freeze-dried banana chips, just use regular dried banana chips.
* Either creamy or crunchy peanut butter works well with this recipe.

Preparation

1. In large microwaveable bowl, measure cereals and peanuts.

2. In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave butter until melted, about 30 seconds. Stir in brown sugar and peanut butter; microwave 30 seconds longer or until mixture is boiling. Pour over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly coated

3. Microwave uncovered on High about 3 minutes, stirring every minute, until mixture is glazed. Cool 5 minutes. Stir in dried bananas and candies. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container.

1/2 cup: Calories 230 (Calories from Fat 110); Total Fat 12g (Saturated Fat 5g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 10mg; Sodium 210mg; Potassium 150mg; Total Carbohydrate 25g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 4g

% Daily Value: Vitamin A 6%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 6%; Iron 20% Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch, 2 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2

Even if you can’t become a minion yourself, enjoying some Minion Munch while watching Dispicable Me 2 seems like a pretty close second.

Image and recipe reprinted with permission from Universal Home Entertainment

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I love omelettes because they are so easy to make and perfect for filling with almost anything you have in your fridge or pantry. Combining the somewhat salty taste of sausage with the sweet taste of apples makes this Family Style Apple and Sausage Omelette recipe worth a try.

I like to make small individual size omelettes but a family size option is just as doable, perfect for Sunday brunch.

Ingredients

2 tsp (10 mL) canola oil
2 mild or hot Italian sausages, casings removed
4 green onions, whites and greens, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Cortland, Honey Crisp or Spartan apples, cored and chopped
1/4 tsp (1 mL) fennel seeds, crushed (optional)
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
6 eggs
3 tbsp (45 mL) water
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

In a 12 inch (30 cm) non stick, oven proof skillet, heat 1 tsp (5 mL) of the oil over medium high heat and cook sausage, green onions and garlic, breaking up with a spoon, for 3 minutes. Stir in apple, fennel (if using) and nutmeg; cook, stirring for about 4 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink and apples are tender crisp. Scrape into a bowl; set aside.

Return skillet to medium low heat and add remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) oil.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, water and pepper. Pour into skillet and cook, stirring gently until eggs start to set. Place under the broiler for 3 minutes or until eggs are completely set and puffed. Slide the omelette onto a serving platter and spread sausage mixture on half of the omelette. Fold remaining half over sausage filling to cover.

Helpful Tips

• You can find bulk sausage meat in most butcher and grocery stores. You can use 8 oz (250 g) instead of 2 sausages.
• To make your skillet ovenproof if the handle is wood or metal, wrap it in foil before using.
• Leave the skin on the apple for additional fibre and colour.
• Whisk the eggs with a teaspoon of water.(Tip: water will turn to steam producing a light, airy omelette.) Mix the egg and water together well. Season with salt and pepper.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

For nutritional data as well as other EGGceptional recipe ideas, visit http://www.eggfarmersofontario.ca/

Image and recipe reprinted with permission from Egg Farmers of Ontario

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On a recent trip to Nashville we had the chance to visit some great food stops, including Bang Candy Shop. Along with handmade marshmallows they also make their own syrups, perfect for homemade treats and sweets.

We picked up a bottle of Spiced Smoked Orange, Pineapple Jalapeno Cilantro and Peach Basil Nectar. I was originally thinking these would be great for adding into co*cktails or making our own sodas and I’m looking forward to Hamilton Beach Fizzini this fall for this very reason, but then the idea of ice cream came to mind.

We’ve discovered first hand over and over that homemade usually tastes so much better than the mass produced products but visiting our local handmade ice cream parlor although a delicious treat it can get expensive. Out comes the Hamilton Beach ice cream maker. Unlike some ice cream makers, all we had to do was add ingredients and turn it on. No loads of rock salt or extra arm work. The booklet even contained a few homemade ice cream recipes, like one for Peaches and Cream Ice Cream. Using that as a guide, I opted to add our Bang Candy Company Peach Basil Nectar in place of vanilla and it was so good.

1 cup (250 ml) chopped fresh or frozen peaches
1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar
2 cups (500 ml) heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup (125 ml) whole milk
2 tsp (10 ml) Bang Candy Company Peach Basil Nectar

1. Combine peaches with 1/4 cup (60 ml) of sugar. Let stand for one hour.
2. Place mixture in food processor and pulse until peaches are coarsely chopped.
3. Add remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml) sugar, cream, milk, and Peach Basil Nectar to the peach mixture
4. Start ice cream maker and pour mixture through hole in lid
5. Churn for 20-40 minutes or until desired consistency.

The fresh ice cream was so creamy and a huge hit with the kids. The homemade ice cream is much softer than the store bought ice cream you might be use to. We also found it tasted much richer meaning the kids were satisfied with a smaller serving. The peach pieces were lovely in the ice cream too.

According to Hamilton Beach the best ice cream is the fresh made batch, which I would have to agree, but the ice cream will store in the freezer for about a week. In all honesty our ice cream never lasted that long.

We’re already looking forward to trying some new flavours, such as maple and bacon. What delightful flavours would you like to try? Have you made homemade ice cream?

Recipe reprinted (and modified) with permission from Hamilton Beach.

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Our family loves falafel. They are great meatless dish that even my kids enjoy eating, either in a wrap or on their own. I might even try making them myself now that I’ve discovered this recipe for Falafel Patties with Rice and Lemon Tahini Sauce.

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As part of Summer BBQ Sunday we’ve experimented with all sorts of great food on our BBQ but burgers are always popular. This Cheeseburger with Mango-Chile Salsa recipe from Weber’s New Real Grilling cookbook looks like a tasty alternative to plain burgers on the grill.

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