Lemon Pound Loaf

For someone who doesn't really have a sweet tooth and detests baking, I'm not doing too shabby with the loaves.  They're about the only thing I can bake and not burn.  Come to think of it, my little people were helping me with this so perhaps I should give them the credit.
This is a super yummy recipe from Trish Magwood's new cookbook In My Mother's Kitchen - Bo's Lemon Pound Loaf.  The kids wanted to bake and this looked easy, and it was.  It so perfectly lemony and light.  It's kind of hard to stop eating.  Pucker up baby!
p.s. I only tweaked it slightly.  I added about 1 tsp of orange zest to the loaf and about a tablespoon of fresh squeezed orange juice to the glaze. 

So, as you can see, I've poked holes in the loaf to let the delicious glaze seep through and make it oooohhhhh so moist and deeeelicious. 

There's that super deeeelicous lemony, sugary glaze.....can you see it seeping?  Mmmmmm.....

It's just good....and a little bit sticky.





Lemon Pound Loaf

Makes 1 Loaf

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tsp orange zest (optional)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

Glaze

Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp orange juice, fresh squeezed (optional)
1/3 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 325F.  Butter and flour an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan.  Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest until fluffy.  Beat in eggs.  Alternately add the flour mixture and milk, making 3 additions of flour and 2 of milk.  Stir just to incorporate after each addition.  Turn the batter into the loaf pan.
Bake for 1 1/4 hours, testing after 1 hour, or until cake springs back when touched lightly.  Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 min.  Using a toothpick, poke holes in the top of the loaf. 
To make the glaze, stir the lemon juice and sugar together until sugar dissolves.  Pour over the loaf.  Let stand for 20 minutes.  Mmmmmmm goooood.






Lemon Pound Loaf

Moroccan Red Lentil Soup

OK!  I know, it's another flippin' soup but it's cold and wintery and snowy out.  Some days colder than others but all the same, it's soup weather.  I love it for lunch and dinner and I've even been known to eat it for breakfast because the thought of cereal makes me cringe.  To all you cereal eaters out there, I eat SOUP! 
I adapted this recipe from Canadian Living, again.  They have yummy recipes but I always twist, tweek and twiddle things to my liking.  This has warmth and some kind of addictive flavour that makes you want more.  It's bloody delicious.  It holds well for about 3 days in the fridge too.  Considering the list of ingredients, it comes together rather quickly.  It just needs a little time to cook. 
I garnished with a little greek yogurt which was delish.  Another day I did sour cream and fresh Italian parsley...chili flakes....figure out what rocks your boat.....and rock that boat.

Moroccan Red Lentil Soup

Serves 8



1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger or 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped (I used fresh)
pinch saffron (optional)
6 cups water
1 cup dried red lentils
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 potatoes, diced
1 can tomatoes (19oz)
Half a Lemon
Pinch Chili Flakes (optional)
Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt for garnish


In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat and cook onions, garlic and carrot, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and saffron (if using) Cook stirring often, for about 2 minutes.  Add water, lentils, tomato paste, potatoes and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes with spoon bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40-45 minutes.  if you want a smoother texture, use a hand blender or stand up blender to puree half of the soup.  Squeeze in lemon for a bit of fresh acidity.   Garnish with sour cream and parsley if using.

Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Onions and Apples

I'm a pork tenderloin fan.  It's tasty, lean and not overly expensive.  It's easy to cook, as long as you don't overcook it, and it's great for a quick easy meal or to entertain with.  I've pounded it thin and made schnitzel, sliced it into medallions, sauteed it and made a pan sauce, roasted and barbecued it whole....many possibilities. 
I adapted this recipe from Canadian Living on-line.  I'm not normally one to mix sweet and savory.  I don't like cranberry with my turkey, applesauce with my pork chops or raisins in a curry.  This caught my eye and I think it was because of all of the delicious onions.  This has a perfect amount of sweetness without being overly sweet.  The sweetness from the apple is totally balanced by the natural sweetness of the onion.  It was super easy to prep and make.  This was a mid-week meal for 2.  If you don't have cider, use apple juice and toss in a couple of tbsp of Brandy to give it a little punch (dark rum would probably work well too).  Have a little yourself if you need a little warming up but go easy tiger....you still need to serve dinner.

Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Onion and Apples

Serves 2

1 pork tenderloin

1 tbsp olive oil

fresh ground pepper

1 large sweet onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

1 tbsp butter

1 apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1 cup low sodium beef broth

1/4 apple cider or 1/4 cup apple juice and 2 tbsp brandy

big sprig of fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried

1 tsp of cornstarch

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.  In an ovenproof skillet heat the olive oil over med-high heat.  Season the pork with fresh black pepper and brown all over.  Transfer to the oven and roast for about 20 minutes.  Once the pork is done (it should have a hint of pink inside), transfer it to a carving board board and tent with foil to keep it warm and let it rest until the sauce is done.  In the same skillet, melt the butter  over med heat and add onions, cooking for about 5 minutes until golden.  Add the apple and thyme and saute for about 3-5 minutes until the apple is just starting to soften.  Pour in the beef broth and apple cider or apple juice and brandy making sure to scrape up any brown bits from the saucepan.  Reduce until there is about 3/4 cups liquid left. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tbsp of water and add to skillet, cooking until sauce is thickend, about a minute. Check to see if the sauce needs salt and pepper.  Slice the pork and serve with onion apple sauce! 



Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Mushrooms

I have a thing for mushrooms.  I have a huge thing for mushrooms and when they're stuffed, I have an even bigger thing for them.  To those of you that hate the fungus, that is a cryin' shame.  I can't get enough of them.  God forbid we have none in the fridge, I will go into a panic.  I kid you not, they might be my favorite vegetable and I cook with them daily.
I bought these big gorgeous mushrooms the other day that just cried out to be stuffed.  I had ground chicken and blue cheese and it became very obvious what had to be done.  Oh my.  These were the words that flew out of my mouth at the first bite.  Spicy, creamy, bluey....YUM!  I had only made 3 each because they were so big which was probably a good thing seeing as my husband would have eaten at least another 20. 
I insist you use Frank's Red Hot.  There is no substitute.  I used 1/4 cup but you could use a little less if you don't like that much heat.  If you don't like Blue Cheese, use an aged Cheddar or Mozzarella.  Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Mushrooms

Makes 10 Large or 20 Small

10 large or 20 small mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
1/2 lb ground chicken
2 tsp olive oil & 1 tsp butter (butter optional)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot
2 oz mild blue cheese

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Heat a skillet over med heat, add oil and butter garlic and onion.  Saute until onion is just transparent.  Add ground chicken, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and garlic powder. Cook until it's and no longer pink and cooked through breaking up with a spoon.  Remove from the skillet and add to a bowl. Mix with the hot sauce and cream cheese until well incorporated.  Season the mushrooms lightly with a tiny sprinkle of salt and stuff the mushrooms and top with the blue cheese.  Bake the large mushrooms for about 25-30 minutes and the small for 20 minutes.

My Egg Drop Soup Italian Style

Soup...I know, it's more soup but it's winter and soup is easy peasy and totally awesome. I have perused many Egg Drop Soup and Stracciatella recipes. Some of the more authentic have semolina flour in them, some have bread crumbs and some have pasta or noodles.  I've sort of taken what I think are the yummiest ingredeints and made it my own.  This soup is so easy and quite healthy.  You can whip this up in 10 minutes.  No joke, 10 minutes.  Imagine what you could do with the time you save......ponder it.
I used a homemade chicken stock which always makes things that much better.  I had some in the freezer after I poached a chicken, which is also posted on the blog.  Poach it, you won't regret it. Of course you can use low a sodium tetra pack or canned and you'll still get great results.  I also chose pasta to give it a little bulk and my pasta of choice was Orzo.  I have an unnatural love for orzo.  Any small pasta would work well though.  Oh yeah, please don't use frozen spinach.  Buy some baby spinach.  It's another one of those "don't argue with me" moments. 
Make this.  It's warm and soothing and has simple pure flavors.
p.s. I might add that I have put a little squeeze of lemon in my bowl just before eating.  It adds a little acidity and brightness if that's your thing. 

My Egg Drop Soup Italian Style

Serves 4

6 cups + 1/4 cup of homemade or low sodium chicken stock
1/3 cup orzo
2 eggs
1/4 cup fresh Parmesan + extra for garnish
2 tbsp fresh Parsley, finely chopped
8 oz baby spinach
salt & pepper

Bring the 6 cups of stock to a boil and cook the orzo until just al dente.  While the pasta is cooking, whisk the eggs, parmesan, parsley and 1/4 cup of broth together.  When the pasta is al dente turn the heat down to a simmer.  Slowly pour the egg mixture in a stream into the simmering broth while constantly stirring the broth at the same time.  Simmer for 2 minutes.  Add the spinach and wilt.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with fresh Parmesan!

Multi Bean Soup

I love this soup.  I love it so much I try to make it at least twice a month and it lasts for 2-3 days in the fridge.  It make a great lunch or dinner.  My other half loves it as well.
You'll notice I'll be posting healthier recipes over the next few weeks.  Gee, I wonder why?!  It's not about dieting, it's about eating well.  I'll say it again, food doesn't have to be bland to be healthy.  Fibre is one of the best things you can give your body and this soup is packed with it.  It's brothy, warm, savory, filling and it smells great.  Just before I tuck in, I grate a little fresh parm over the top or a lot of black pepper.  Depends on the mood. 
I bought a bag of Bob's Red Mill 13 Bean Soup Mix but you could use any dried bean mix.
I'm still trying to figure out how to take a decent picture, so please bare with me.  It's all about the lighting and I don't have it yet!

Multi Bean Soup

6-8 Servings

1 tbsp olive oil
1 med onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 stalk of celery, sliced
1 cup dried bean mix, soaked overnight and drained*
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
2 cups water
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste
1 Bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
pinch chili flakes (optional)
fresh grated Parmesan (optional)

*Make sure you've soaked your beans overnight!
In large saucepan, sauté onion, garlic and celery in oil for about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except the cheese. Bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer approximately 2 hours. Stirring occasionally.

Egg in a Tomato Cup

I say Egg because I made only one.  It was for me and it was goooood.  I've been trying to eat a little healthier after all the indulging over the holidays.  To eat healthy doesn't mean you have to sacrifice flavor.  I will make this again, for breakfast, lunch and maybe a light dinner, with 2 eggs and perhaps a salad.  My 5 year old, who is a tomato freak and loves all eggs, was drooling while I ate this.  Too bad I only made one!
I'm sure you could use any cheese you like, but I just happened to have goat cheese and fresh basil.  A match made in delicous heaven.  When baking, keep an eye on the eggs.  I pulled my egg out twice to check it.  I like a solid white and a semi soft yolk.  I used 375F for about 25 minutes but I'm sure you could bump up the temp to 400F for less time.
P.S. Happy 2012!!!

Egg in a Tomato Cup

Serves 1

1 Egg

1 Tomato

1 tbsp soft goat cheese

Fresh Basil (1/4 tsp dried will do in a pinch)

Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375F (or 400F - whatever your preference).  Slice the top of the tomato and scoop out all of the seeds.  Place the tomato in a lightly greased muffin tin, if it doesn't fit, use a ramakin.  Season the tomato with a little salt and pepper and place fresh basil chiffonade (amount up to you) and half of the goat cheese in the bottom of the tomato.  Crack the egg carefully into the tomato.  Season the top with a little salt and pepper.  Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, pulling the tomato out 5 minutes before it's done to sprinkle the rest of the goat cheese on top.  Put the tomato back in for the last 5 minutes to soften the cheese.