2 Carrots, diced
3 stalks Celery, chopped
1 head Cabbage, chopped
1 Green Pepper, chopped
2 Onions, chopped
1 (420g) can Chopped Tomatoes
1 500ml jar Tomato Sauce
Vegetable Broth
Bay Leaves
Sage
Thyme
Chili Flakes
Salt
PepperChop, grate, shred…do what you will with your veggies!
Throw them all into the Crock Pot.Throw in your liquid ingredients.
Stir stuff around a bit to evenly distribute the liquid.
Add your herbs and spices, to taste, and stir around some more.Put the lid on, turn the Slow Cooker on HIGH and walk away for 6 – 8 hours. If you are compulsive, like me, you will give it a stir from time to time throughout the day, but you don’t have to.And that is it! Now, while this is cooking itself you have heaps of time to make some Baking Powder Biscuits,Bannock or Dinner Rolls!
I love that Canadian Living posts dinner ideas. I often click on their suggestion and think “Ah, yea, that would be good!” But invariably I am missing some ingredient or another but tonight I had everything, and more, to come up with this version of Gardener’s Pie. ( http://www.canadianliving.com/food/quick_and_easy/gardeners_pie.php)
Comfort food extraordinaire for a cold Winter's night: Gardener's Shepherd Pie
Potato Topping 8 Potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 cup Milk
1 1/2 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup Light Cream Cheese
2 Tablespoons Butter
Preheat oven to 400F.
Lightly spray a 9X13 casserole dish with vegetable oil spray; set aside.
In medium saucepan cook the potatoes until tender; about 10 – 15 minutes depending on how small or large you cut your potatoes.
Drain potatoes and return to pot.
Mash with milk and butter.
Stir in parmesan cheese and cream cheese.
While the potatoes are cooking, heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
Cook onion for about 3 minutes; add garlic and continue cooking for another minute or so.
Add grated carrot, basil, frozen mixed veggies and mushrooms.
Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
Add water, Catalina Dressing and vegetable stock cube.
Bring to a boil, stirring, for about 2 minutes.
Reduce heat and continue simmering until the potatoes are ready.
Once potatoes are ready to go, pour the “meat” mixture into prepared pan.
Spread mashed potatoes over top.
Dot with scant dollops of butter.
Bake in 400F oven until hot through, about 20 minutes.
Serve with Salad and Crusty Rolls.
Spaghetti Sauce was the first Main Meal I ever cooked. I was 10 years old, home alone, starving and knew my mother would be tired when she got home from work. I thought I would surprise her and make dinner! Oh, what a disaster! I did everything right except, and it is big EXCEPT, instead of using canned tomatoes or tomato sauce I used 3 cans of tomato paste!!!! It was rather rich! Despite my rather large error, it was game over after that; I was hooked on cooking.
A wonderful combination of fresh vegetables, herbs and spices.
2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1 Onion, diced 3 -4 cloves Garlic, minced 3 ribs Celery, chopped 1 – 2 Carrots, grated 1 each, chopped: Green Pepper, Red Pepper, Yellow or Orange Pepper 1 Zucchini, grated 4 – 6 Mushrooms, sliced 1 (800gm) can Dice Tomatoes 1 (800gm) can Crushed Tomatoes 1 can Tomato Paste
1 Tablespoon each: Basil, Oregano, Parsley
1/2 teaspoon Chili Flakes
1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan; add diced onion and saute for 3 minutes.
Add garlic and continue cooking for a couple of minutes.
Stir in celery, carrot, chopped peppers, mushrooms and zucchini.
Cook until vegetables are slightly softened.
Add diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste; stir well.
Reduce heat to minimum to simmer for about an hour ( I like to put a pot of Spag sauce on the stove around 1pm and have it simmering until ready to serve at 5pm)
Stir in brown sugar, herbs and spices and let the simmering begin.
Give it a stir every now and again while it simmers away on the stove, making your house smell like an Italian Restaurante!
In medium saucepan saute onion for about 3 minutes.
Add garlic and continue cooking for a few more minutes.
Stir in chopped celery and grated carrot; cook for 3 minutes.
Stir in rice to coat; add water and vegetable stock cubes.
Bring to a boil over high heat then immediately reduce heat to low.
Place lid on saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes.
Fluff with fork and serve immediately.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies have to be one of my absolute favourite cookies! They are the perfect cookie for our house because my husband loves Choc Chippers and I love Peanut Butter cookies!
The ultimate combination of Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chips.
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 generous teaspoon Vanilla
3 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
a pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups Milk Chocolate Chips
Preheat oven to 360F
Prepare baking trays: spray lightly with vegetable oil spray
In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until well combined.
Add brown sugar and continue creaming for a minute.
Add peanut butter and continue creaming
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add Vanilla and cream the whole lot for a few minutes scraping sides and bottom of bowl a couple of times.
Using a wooden spoon or mixing paddle on the mixer, stir in the dry ingredients; pour in milk chocolate chips and continue stirring until cookie dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Using a 2 (or 3) ounce Pampered Chef scoop, scoop out cookie dough onto baking trays allowing room for expansion!
Slightly flatten just using your finger, pushing down through the middle of the cookie to make a slight indentation.
Bake in preheated 360F oven for 13 to 15 minutes. If baking two trays at a time, rotate mid way through baking time to ensure even browning: top to bottom, bottom to top, front to back.
Remove from oven and let set on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Welcome to my Kitchen where the most important ingredient is Love.
