Berry Nut Blondies

I bought dried prunes a while back to help my son but we didn't eat them all and it was time for them to use up.  But what do you use dried prunes for?  So to the internet I went and found the Sunsweet site which has recipes that use prune puree as a sub for fat, just like applesauce.  So, I pureed my prunes and made Berry Nut Blondies.  The only change I made was to use only 1 1/2c brown sugar (not the 2 they say) and didn't ice them as I found them sweet enough on their own.  You don't taste the prune and they are so good I won't be able to make them too often or I will be tempted to eat the entire pan.  Another recipe to add to my favourites list!

Italian Sausage Soup

Since we were South Beaching it again, it was time to try some new recipes.  This one I got from an on-line recipe site, but did do some changing so I'll just post it here.  It is quite different then what we were used to but good.

Italian Sausage Soup

1 pound Italian Sausage (I used Octoberfest)
1 clove garlic, minced
3 1/2c beef broth
1 (428ml) can stewed tomatoes (I used diced)
1c sliced carrots (or peppers if on South Beach Phase 1)
1/4t salt
1/4t pepper
1t basil
1/2t oregano
2T parsley
1 (428) can navy or kidney beans, undrained
2 small zucchini, cubed
2c spinach, packed, rinsed and torn

In a Dutch oven, brown sausage with garlic.  Stir in broth, tomatoes and carrots or peppers and seasonings.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 min.  Stir in beans with liquid and zucchini.  Cover and simmer another 15 min or until zucchini is tender.  Remove from heat and add spinach.  Replace lid allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves.  Soup is ready to serve after 5 minutes.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

My hubby found this Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe in a magazine, asked me to try it and it was a winner!  We served it to my in-laws and they thoroughly enjoyed it! 

I did not add 2 Tablespoons of chili powder as we don't like things too spicy, but 2 teaspoons instead and it still tasted great.  However, you can adjust that to your taste.  It also freezes and reheats well.

Gevulde Speculaas

or for those not of Dutch decent, these are Almond filled spice bars (but that doesn't have as nice a ring...)
One of my FB friends requested a recipe so instead of just giving it to her I decided to share it with anyone reading this.  I got this recipe from my mom who just informed me that she combined two recipes, one for the cake and one for the filling.  As the filling can get pricy, I usually only make these at Christmas, but they do make LOTS so you can also wrap them up (freezer paper works well) and freeze for another time.  Or you can make the cake without the filling (good too, but not quite as special).  If you give them a try, make sure you come back and let me know what you think! 

Gevulde Speculaas

Filling:
4c ground almonds
3c icing sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
2t lemon juice
1 1/2t almond extract
Mix well.  Place in a tightly covered container.  Refriderate for at least 4 days.

Dough:
3c flour
1c each white sugar and brown sugar
1t each nutmeg, cinnamon and baking soda
1/2t each cloves and ginger
1c butter
2 eggs

Mix together.  Divide in half.  Roll half the dough between sheets of wax paper on a jelly roll pan (aka cookie sheet with sides), trying to get the dough all the way to the sides.  Remove from cookie sheet.  Roll the other half onto the cookie sheet.  Cover with the almond filling.  Place first half of dough on top.  Brush with egg wash (Mix egg with a little water to spread easier).  Spinkle with slivered almonds if desired.  Bake at 350* for 25 min or until lightly brown.

Note: If you would like a smaller recipe, I believe we cut it in half and did it in a 9x13 pan.

Bacon and Cheddar Stuffed Mushrooms

We had a little Christmas get together with our book club group last night to which I brought these little morsels.  Found on the net somewhere, but I can't find the site back to give proper credit.  They went over very well and to anyone on Phase 1 of South Beach, these are also Phase 1 friendly.  I had them all stuffed and ready to go in the fridge and just popped them in the oven when we were ready to eat.  Easy and yummy!

Bacon and Cheddar Stuffed Mushrooms

3 slices bacon (or turkey bacon)j

8 mushrooms

1T butter or oil

1T chopped onion (I used green onion)

3/4c shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Fry bacon, drain, dice and set aside.  Preheat oven to 400*.  Remove mushroom stems.  Set aside caps.  Chop stems.  In a small frying pan, melt butter (or heat oil).  Slowly cook and stir in the chopped stems and onion until they are soft.  Remove from heat.  In a medium bowl, stir together the mushroom mixture, bacon and 1/2c cheese.  Mix well and scoop into the mushroom caps.  Back in preheated oven for 15 min, or until the cheese has melted.  Remove and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Breakfast Bean Cookies

I just made these cookies, found on the Parents Canada site and they are scrumptious!  They don't flatten very much, so do ensure that you do flatten them with your hand. 

Some hints on their directions:
Since I don't own a food processor, I ground up the oats in my blender, which worked really well, but then had to transfer them to a bowl to mix it with the other dry ingredients.  However, when I tried to puree the beans, it didn't work, so I did it with my immersion blender, which worked much better.  Then I mixed the butter, beans, sugar, etc together with my stand mixer and continued with the rest of the instructions using my stand mixer.  So, they were a bit "machine" intensive, but the results were well worth it - and the kids liked them too!

Cheesy Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

I cut this recipe out of the local newspaper back in September and finally made it for the first time a couple weeks ago.  It's different from most Shepherd's pie that I've had, but it was quite tasty and a definite make again.  I halved the recipe to only make one 8" square pan but next time would make two dinners and freeze one.

Big batch cheesy sweet potato shepherd's pie

This twist on a classic offers a colourful and tasty mealtime solution for eight to ten hungry people. Or make two dinners for four and freeze the second pan for a last-minute meal to cook from frozen. Or make eight individual 1 cup (250 mL) servings for later use.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes.

Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes

Baking Time: 20 to 45 minutes

Serves: 8 to 10

Topping:

4 lb (2 kg) sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) shredded old cheddar cheese

1/2 cup (125 mL) milk

Salt and pepper

In large pot, cook potatoes in boiling water until fork-tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and mash with Cheddar cheese, milk, and salt and pepper to taste.

Filling:

2 lb (1kg) lean ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups (500 mL) each shredded carrots and zucchini

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) fresh corn kernels (I used frozen)

3/4 cup (175 mL) minced onion (about 1 medium)

1 tbsp (15 mL) each dried thyme, oregano and dry mustard

1 tbsp (15 mL) all-purpose flour

1 cup (250 mL) milk

Salt and pepper

 In a large frying pan, sauté beef over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain off fat. Add garlic, carrots, zucchini, corn and onion; cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened. In small bowl, mix together thyme, oregano, mustard and flour; stir into pan along with milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Transfer to two 8-inch (2 L) square baking dishes; top each with half of the potato mixture. (Can be frozen at this point). Bake in 375 F (190 C) oven for 20 minutes, or until heated through and topping is browned. From Frozen: Bake in 350 F (180 C) oven for 45 minutes or until heated through.