Crescent Veggie Pizza

I got this recipe from a lovely Amish Mom at my children's school. Way back in my other blog Walking Between the Grapevines I had mentioned that school many times. It was in a very small farming community in Western New York, and the fact that so many residents were members of the Ohio sect of Amish we all interacted. My son on the spectrum had classmates who attended the regular school for the extra help from the most amazing teacher.

For class events Mrs. Miller would always bring this delicious veggie pizza and was kind enough to offer the recipe to me. It is a family favourite for family events, the Super Bowl, holidays, and whenever I feel like making it, or they ask me to.

This recipe is doubled because that's how we make it.

Crescent Veggie Pizza

Ingredients:

        2 cans Crescent Dinner Rolls

        1 pkg (8oz) Cream Cheese, softened

        1/2  cup Sour Cream

        1 tsp Dill Weed

        1/8 tsp Garlic Powder

        1/2 cup small Fresh Broccoli Florets

        1/3 cup Cucumber Slices, quartered

        1 Roma Tomato, seeded and chopped

        1/4 cup Carrot, shredded

Directions: 

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Unroll both cans of dough.
3. Separate dough into 4 rectangles.
4. In ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan, place dough; press in bottom and up sides to form crust.
5. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  
6. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
7. In small bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, dill and garlic powder until smooth.
8. Spread over crust.
9. Top with vegetables. 
10. Cut into 8 rows by 4 rows.
11. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours before serving. 

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

A Perfect House Salad

I just had to share this recipe. It's so simple and easy but my oldest daughter added so many delicious vegetables to make this so good and picture-perfect. The colours were amazing! 

Perfect House Salad

Ingredients:

        Romaine Lettuce, torn into edible size

        Red cabbage, chopped into strips

        Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half

        Broccoli Tops, cut into bite-size

        Cucumber, sliced and quartered

        Carrots, shredded

Directions:

1. Combine the ingredients in whatever order and amount you prefer.
2. Top with your favourite dressing and topping. I love Greek vinaigrette topped with Blue Cheese crumbles, with croutons.

 Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Vegetable Pasta

This delicious healthy pasta recipe is a nice vegetarian option. I made this the first time a week or so ago for the girlfriend of my youngest. The other day I was drawing a blank on supper and my oldest requested this recipe again. It's quickly becoming a family favourite.

Vegetable Pasta

Ingredients:

        1 lb. Pasta, cooked al dente

Sauce:

        1 Yellow Onion, finely diced

        1 tsp Garlic, minced

        1 Green Bell Pepper, finely diced

        8 oz. Baby Portobella Mushrooms, diced

        24 oz. Pasta Sauce

        15 oz. Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, drained

        2 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce

        2 Tbl Sugar

        Red Pepper Flakes to taste

        Salt and Pepper to taste

        1 tsp Basil

        1 tsp Oregano

        1 Tbs Italian Seasoning

Instructions:

1. Over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven, saute the onion and garlic until the onions are translucent.
2. Add diced bell pepper and mushrooms and let the vegetables sweat, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour in pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Add in basil, oregano, and Italian seasoning and stir to mix.
6. Dish and serve hot over cooked pasta topped with Parmesan cheese.

             

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Antipasto salad

My family absolutely loves my take on the traditional antipasto salad. I always have to make large batches to last several days. The biggest benefit is that the portion that sits in the refrigerator longest tastes best after the flavours have been melding for days. 

Antipasto Salad

Ingredients:

        8 oz Tri-Colour Rotini

        1/2 c Vegetable Oil

        3 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar

        1 clove Garlic, minced

        1 tsp Basil

        1/8 tsp Red Pepper

        1 tsp Salt

        1/4 c Parmesan

        2 c Broccoli Florets

        1/4 lb Pepperoni, sliced

        10 Cherry Tomatoes, halved

        1/2 c Mozzarella, shredded

Directions:

1. Cook pasta until al dente, Drain
2. In large bowl, stir together oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, pepper and salt
3. Toss with warm macaroni to coat well.
4. Toss with Parmesan.
5. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours.
6. Add Broccoli, pepperoni and tomatoes; toss well. 
7. Sprinkle with mozzarella and serve.

Serves 6

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Sate Ayam & Gado Gado

This is one of my favourite dishes.  It's from Indochef and so delicious that I just can't get enough. Sate Ayam is similar to kabobs, but so much better!! Gado-Gado is an Indonesian vegetable salad. The vegetables used are a suggestion, you can use nearly anything that is available to you. Use at least 3 different vegetables.
 

Sate Ayam and Gado Gado

Sate Ayam 

Ingredients:
        

        1 lb Chicken

Marinade:

        1 Onion
        1 clove Garlic
        1 oz Dark Soya Sauce
        1 tsp Coriander Powder
        1 teaspoon Lemon Grass
        1 teaspoon Hot Chili Paste
        1 glass Red Wine (optional)
        1 oz Water

Directions:

1. Dice the meat into 3/4 inch square cubes.
2. Put onto bamboo skewers (about 4 per stick).
3. Combine all the marinade ingredients into a food processor and make into a smooth paste.  
4. Pour this over the prepared sate's and leave to marinade for at least 2 hours.
5. Cook the sate's on the barbeque or under the grill for 5-10 minutes until done.
6. Serve with hot Peanut Sauce.
7. 
   

Gado-Gado:

Ingredients:

        White Cabbage, diced

        Green Beans

        Bean Sprouts

        2 Eggs, hard boiled

        Peanut Sauce

        Tomatoes

        Prawn Crackers

Directions:

1. Separately cook all the vegetables lightly.  They must still retain a nice crunch.
2. Drain and arrange the vegetables in layers on a dish.
3. Pour the peanut sauce over the vegetables.
4. Decorate with the sliced egg and tomatoes.
5. Just before serving, sprinkle the crackers over the sauce.

Best enjoyed when the salad is cooled down.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Stampot Sla

I thought I had  posted this already, but here it was in my drafts.  Stampot is literally "mash pot". a traditional Dutch dish of potatoes mashed with other vegetables, while sla translates to lettuce. Hence, the name of this dish.  Stampot Sla is an excellent summer dish, super easy to make and loved by my family - including the fussy eater.

Stampot Sla

 

Ingredients:    

              

            2 lb Potatoes, peeled and halved

            1 Vegetable stock cube

            1 Head Butter Lettuce

            5 Eggs

            1 Tbsp Butter

            1 Tbsp Hand-hot cream (or milk)

            Salt and White Pepper, to taste ( I didn't use any)

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, cover the potatoes with water. 
2. Add a stock cube and bring to a boil.
3. Meanwhile, wash the lettuce thoroughly, spin dry and slice the individual leaves into strips.
4. When the potatoes are soft, drain them well.
5. Pat them dry and give them a shake in the pot.
6. Mash with a potato masher or ricer.
7. Add an egg, the butter and cream (or milk).
8. Now fry the four eggs in a frying pan, but be careful to leave the yolks runny and intact. 
9. Add some lettuce to the mash and mix it in using a wooden spoon. 
10. Season to taste.  

Serve the stamppot on a bed of sliced lettuce with an egg on top.  Pierce the yolk and allow the runny liquid to dribble down the mound. 

Serves 4

Note: I didn't use salt or pepper and the potatoes were delicious.  The vegetable stock seemed to season the potatoes perfectly. 

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Cah Kangkung Udang

I want to apologize.  I can't believe it's been so long since I did a food blog.  I promise I will try not to have the blogs so few and far between anymore.

Doesn't this look amazing?

My son, William, saw this on another food blog I used to use, and wanted to make it on his night to cook.  He did an awesome job with just a little help from me.  It was delicious!

Cah Kangkung Udang is an Indonesian dish made by a wonderful Indonesian woman I knew.

Cah Kangkung Udang

• Ingredients:

        7 ounces Large Shrimp

        10 oz Spinach

        1 Onion

        2 Chilies, or adjust to taste

        2 cloves Garlic

        1 Tbs Butter

        2 Tbs Soy Sauce

        1 Tbs Sesame Oil

        1 Tbs Oster Sauce

Directions:

1. Wash spinach and cut to size. 
2. Finely chop onion and garlic.   
3. Seed and chop the chilies elongated  
4. Heat the butter in a pan. 
5. Put chopped onions, garlic and chilies in the hot butter.  
6. Saute until fragrant. 
7. Add the shrimp.  
8. Stir well. 
9. Add soy sauce, sesame oil and oyster sauce.  
10. Cook briefly (1-2 minutes). 
11. Add the spinach. 
12. Stir fry briefly until the leaves are flaccid.

Serve with hot rice.

Serves 3-5.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Brown Sugar-Glazed Carrots

I always try to include veggies in our meals but my kids are so finicky that I'm limited on what vegetables they'll eat and how I can prepare them (steamed, mostly).  At last, I found a recipe that makes them happy. 

 When I first made these carrots, I made a small portion - fully expecting to give most of it to the dogs.  My kids asked for more!  In fact the next time I prepared it I had already doubled the recipe but asked if I should toss in another carrot.  Amanda yelled an adamant "Yes!" from the next room without seeing how much I had already prepared.  The brown sugar and butter result in a sweet sugar glaze that even kids love.

Brown Sugar-Glazed Carrots

Ingredients:

        16 oz Baby Carrots
        2 Tbs Butter
        1/3 cup Brown Sugar, packed
        1 cup Water
        dash Salt
        Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the baby carrots with remaining ingredients. 
2. Stir to blend ingredients. 
3. Bring to a boil over high heat. 
4. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling (uncovered) for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until carrots are tender and the liquid has evaporated.

Serves 4 to 6.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

I have tried so many beef stew recipes and my kids always have found flaw with them.  Not with this recipe from About.com.  This was a hit, although next time I'll be sure to double the recipe.  Best made the day before, for even better flavour. 

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

Ingredients:

    3 lbs boneless Chuck Roast, cut into 2-inch pieces

    4 Carrots, cut into 1-inch slices

    3 large Russet Potatoes, cut into eighths

    3 cloves Garlic, minced (we love garlic and so I used 6 cloves:)

    2 Yellow Onions, cut into 1-inch chunks

    2 stalks Celery, cut into 1-inch slices

    3 cups Beef Broth

    3 tbsp Vegetable Oil

    1 cup Red Wine, I had a Merlot open and used it

    1/4 cup Flour

    1 Bay Leaf

    2 tsp Salt

    1 tbsp Ground Pepper

    1/2 tsp Dried Rosemary

    1/2 tsp Dried Thyme

    Fresh Parsley to garnish (optional)

Preparation:

1. On medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil to a large heavy pot (with a tight fitting lid)
2. When it begins to smoke slightly, add the beef and brown very well.  Do in batches if necessary.
3. Add the salt and pepper as the beef browns.
4. Once browned, remove the beef with a slotted spoon, set aside.
5. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes, until softened.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low. 
7. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
8. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
9. Add wine and de-glaze the pan, scraping any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. The flour will start to thicken the wine as it comes to simmer.
10. Simmer wine for 5 minutes.
11. Then add the broth, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, carrots and the beef.
12. Bring back to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on very low for about 1 hour.
13. Add potatoes and celery.  
14. Simmer covered for another 30 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are tender. 
15. Taste and adjust seasoning.
16. Turn off heat and let sit for 15 minutes before serving. 
17. Garnish with the fresh parsley, if desired.

Serves 7

Enjoy!

            Ingrid