Cranberry Bran Muffins (using leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving)

A beautiful Thanksgiving was had by all, the table was set with glittery pumpkins and fall leaves the kids and I collected on our brisk afternoon walk. The Turkey was browned on the outside, moist on the inside. I made my first ever cranberry sauce from scratch. I seriously didn't realized how simple it was, and now that I know, there is no excuse for purchasing that canned gelatinous cranberry jelly stuff. Plus there's this really neat popping sound the cranberries make when the are simmering in the sugar and water, the kids got a kick out of listening to them pop. I made a big bowl of it and had lots leftover. After the big event I got to thinking...how can I repurpose this cranberry goodness? I came up with the idea to add it to muffins, tweaking an existing recipe from all-bran.ca for cranberry apple muffins.

For these muffins you'll need some All-Bran cereal

1 cup of leftover cranberry sauce

Mix All-Bran with the milk in a medium bowl, it will look like you are preparing breakfast for a giant, or my husband. Let it get good and soggy, just like you don't like your cereal to be in the morning. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix up your dry ingredients, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and spices. I used VE Poudre Douce ( one of my all time favorites) its a sweet and spicy blend that remind me of apple pie spice. I also used some VE Ground Cinnamon.

Mix your eggs into the soggy cereal, warning: this will look gross! Trust me that it all comes together beautifully.

Finally gently add your cereal sog to the dry ingredients, stir till just combined. Fold in your cranberries.

Portion out into lined muffin tins and bake till tops spring back when you touch them.

Enjoy with a cuppa tea or coffee for breakfast.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups All-Bran Original* cereal 1 cup milk (1%) 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar 4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp VE Ground Cinnamon 1/2 tsp each, VE Poudre Douce and salt 2 eggs 1/4 cup canola oil 1 cup cranberry sauce

Directions

1. In medium bowl, combine cereal and milk. Let stand for 2 minutes or until cereal softens.

2. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, poudre douce and salt. Set aside.

3. Add eggs and oil to cereal mixture; beat well. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients, stirring only until just combined. Fold in cranberries. Portion batter evenly into 12 (2½”/6.5 cm) non-stick muffin pan cups, lightly coated with cooking spray or lined with paper cups.

4. Bake in 400°F (200°C) oven for 20 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched.

Easy Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Parmesan

Thanksgiving in Canada is this weekend and I simply love this holiday. There's this smell in the air that I wish I could capture in a bottle. Turkey and stuffing and pie oh my... This year I am hosting my first ever Thanksgiving dinner at our new house. We finally have room to invite everyone over! In planning the menu I am going to add a few traditional dishes that I remember eating as a kid. For instance, there's the always popular, ever elusive, always comforting, pea casserole made with mushroom soup that I loved as a kid, it wouldn't be thanksgiving without that darn casserole. I also would like to introduce new traditions to my stlll young family, so this year I will welcome a new dish to the table. The best thing is this side dish is simple to prepare and delicious. I believe even a brussel sprout naysayer will enjoy this.

Start with a bunch of fresh Brussel sprouts and trim off the brown ends and pull off any yellow or discoloured outer leaves. Cut in half length wise.

Next lay them cut side down with a little breathing room around the sprouts. If you don't give them space, crowded sprouts will get too steamy and turn to mush. Drizzle with a little olive oil.

Roast in a 400 degrees F oven until tender, about 25 mins. Then liberally sprinkle on VE Smoky Bacon topper, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, VE Herb and Garlic Sea Salt and fresh VE Ground Pepper to your own taste. Then put back in the oven for another 10 mins.

 

Sprouts should be tender and golden brown. Finish off with some more fresh parmesan if you please. Serve immediately.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Cheddar Bay Biscuits Copycat Recipe

We've all been there, or maybe its just me. You sit down at Red Lobster and out come those steamy, soft, flakey, buttery, cheesy, garlicky biscuits and you can't stop at just one or even two. Your monster size entree arrives and you can barely finish it cause of all those darn good cheddar bay biscuits you ate pre dinner. I adapted this recipe for Red Lobsters Cheddar Bay Biscuits, from a site called top secret recipes. I have to say right off the bat, no holding back here...these biscuits were delicious. Just like Red Lobster I swear it! Super Duper easy too. Simply start with a box of bisquick....

In a large mixing bowl add bisquick mix and cold butter

 

Using a fork or your hands, mix the butter into the mix. Don't over mix, there should be pea sized butter chunks throughout. That's what makes them all flakey and soft.

Then add cheddar cheese, VE seasoning for roasted garlic aioli and milk. Mix until combined with your hands. Drop on baking tray lined with the VE silicone baking mat. Bake until lightly browned.

 

After you take the biscuits from the oven melt topping butter in your microwave. Stir in VE Herb and Garlic dip mix.

Use your herb and garlic butter to spread on top of the biscuits using a brush.

I served them warm from the oven on the side of our spaghetti dinner tonight and they were just perfect.

Ingredients 2 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix 4 tablespoons cold butter 1 heaping cup grated Cheddar cheese 3/4 cup cold whole milk 1/2 teaspoon VE seasoning for roasted garlic aioli Brush on Top 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon VE herb and garlic dip mix Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 400 2. Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl, using a fork or your hands.You don't want to mix too much. There should be small chunks of butter in there that are about the size of peas. Add Cheddar cheese, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon VE seasoning for roasted garlic aioli. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix. 3. Drop approximately 1/4-cup spoonfuls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with VE silicone baking mat. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown. 4. When you take the biscuits out of the oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl in your microwave. Stir in 1 teaspoon of VE herb and garlic dip mix. Use a brush to spread this herb and garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits.

 

Sunday Supper: Pasta e Fagioli with sausage

Sunday suppers when I was growing up were always special. Roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, dad always made his famous whipped smooth mashed potatoes that were like velvet. Sometimes it was ham or a big pot of simmering pasta sauce. Regardless, it was a day when no matter what was going on, we came together for a hot hearty meal as a family and the house smelled of comfort all day. I love the idea of Sunday Suppers, but it does not mean it has to be a roast with all fixings. It's about bringing the family together, enjoying comfort food. This Sunday I decided to tackle my version of pasta e fagioli.

Traditional pasta e fagioli is a vegetarian Italian soup meaning "pasta and beans." I had some Italian sausage on hand so I adapted it into the soup which did in fact make it heartier and it was a great simple, healthy and comforting Sunday supper served with garlic toast. This is one of those everything but the Kitchen sink soups where really you could use whatever beans and veggies you have on hand. For this recipe I started with a bulb of fennel, some carrots and an onion.

Chop up 1/2 cup carrots, 1/2 cup fennel, 1 small onion

In a large pot sautée the veggies with about a pound of Italian sausage casings removed.

 

Add a generous tablespoon of VE Marinara sauce mix, typically used to season pasta sauce but has a wonderful Italian aroma that is perfect for this soup. 2 cloves fresh crushed garlic. Another generous tablespoon of VE Tomato Parmesan Cheeseball mix and some freshly ground VE Herb and Garlic Sea Salt.

Add 4 cups prepared VE chicken boullion, 1 (28 oz) can of diced or crushed tomatoes and 1 can (18 oz) of rinsed canellini or navy beans. Bring to a boil.

Stir in 1 cup of small pasta, traditionally dialini is used but I had some elbow macaroni on hand and used that. Lower the heat and simmer until al dente.

Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan, a drizzle of evo ( extra virgin olive oil) and some bread on the side for mopping up all that goodness. Hubby went up for thirds and the kids loved it too! Celebrate some old traditions or create some new ones, with Sunday Supper!

 

Currently Craving: Poutine Chips

There's this magical time of the day when the children are nestled inside of their beds, and last night mama had visions of potato chips dancing in her head. I have a weakness for chips, I admit I am simply powerless over them. Pop open a bag and it's over. For that reason, I don't allow myself to even enter the chip aisle at the grocery store. So what does a girl do when it's late night and she's craving a salty crispy snack?

I first met the chipster when I attended an epicure party back in February. At that moment I heard the angels sing! You mean I can have chips, without the fat!?! It's not possible...oh but it is. If you're new to Epicure Selections I'll explain the chipster. This silicone tray makes fat free chips in the microwave in 5 mins. No seriously! crispy and delicious. For this snack you'll need only three things: your chipster, your slicer and your poutine seasoning.

Chipster, Ceramic Slicer and Poutine Seasoning for Chips

Slice your potato

Lay flat and even on the chipster, sprinkle liberally with the poutine seasoning. Put in the microwave for about 5 mins. Depending on your microwave it could use about 7 to get crispy.

Add your favourite late night tv show and enjoy all the taste of poutine without the heart attack!

 

Rainy Day Mushroom Cheddar Soup

 

It was a cloudy rainy cool September day. It seems like just yesterday it was summer and we were sunning ouselves at the cottage. Just like that, mother nature turned a switch. The air smelled of fall comforts and and family. We were all a little restless being cooped up, so as an activity I recruited little J and R to help make dinner. I always think of soup as a perfect fall dish, so here's my mushroom soup recipe.

 

We started with 2 cups of mushrooms.

Lovingly cleaned with a dry cloth by little J. Did you know that you aren't supposed to wash mushrooms with water?

Little hands got busy chopping up the mushrooms, R with a butter knife.

In the meantime I got busy sautéing one small onion in 2 tbsp of butter till onions were soft. Adding 2 tbsp of Roasted Garlic by ES, 1 tsp of herb and garlic sea salt and 1/2 tsp of fresh Ground pepper.

I added the mushrooms and continued to sautée for 3-5 mins.

Add 2 tbsp of flour and cook for about 5 mins.

Then stir in 2 cups of prepared chicken stock and 2 cups of milk.

Simmer on low-med for about 20 minutes.

Back at the kids corner...Ruby was eating all the cheese I asked her to grate.

J was there slowly but surely chopping some parsley for garnish.

I made some herb and garlic croutons for the soup, chopping up 2 slices of bread. Toss the bread chunks in a drizzle and a half of olive oil, and a teaspoon of Herb and Garlic Dip Mix. Mix with your hands to coat the bread pieces with the oil and herb and garlic. Toast in the oven on 350 for 8-10 mins.

 

At the end of cooking, stir in 1 cup of cheddar cheese just to melt. Give it a taste, add some more salt if you please. Then it's ready! Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley and a few croutons and enjoy! This soup was so delicious, even picky pants R ate some of it.

Till next time lovelies!