Recipes - Wilkinson.Graphics

Celebration Pie Crust

Liza Desyatkova — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

Pie Crust

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (chilled in freezer if possible)
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 teaspoon salt
3–4 tablespoons sugar
1 splash apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
1/3 cups of ice-cold water

Apple Filling (optional)

5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
2–3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (just a light sprinkle)
Pinch of salt
Small nubs of butter (for dotting the filling)
Optional: a little lemon zest

Instructions

Pie Crust Preperation

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. If you have time, chill the flour in the freezer beforehand — this helps with flakiness.
Toss the cold butter cubes into the dry mixture. Flatten each cube gently between your fingers into a little “butter pancake.” The goal is to coat the butter in flour while keeping it cold and distinct.
Drizzle in a splash of vinegar. Then slowly add ice-cold water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a spoon or your hands. Stop when the dough just starts to hold together — it should still look a bit floury. Too much handling = tough crust. Warm butter = no flakes.
Turn the mixture onto your counter. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the dough in half, stack one half on top of the other, and press together. Repeat this twice — no more. This step adds flaky layers.
Split the dough into two portions, one slightly larger than the other if you plan to make a double crust pie. Wrap each in plastic wrap and freeze for 20–30 minutes before rolling out.
Roll the larger disc on a floured surface and transfer it to a pie tin (rolling it onto the rolling pin and unrolling over the tin works nicely).

Apple Pie (Optional)

Peel, core, and thinly slice apples.
Toss apple slices with sugar, cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and a bit of lemon zest if you like. Fill the pie crust and dot with small pieces of butter.
Roll out the second (smaller) dough disc and lay it over the filling. Trim and pinch the edges closed. Poke a few fork holes on top to vent.
Bake at 375°F for about 45 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling bubbles.

Comments

The key is to keep everything cold and to touch the dough as little as possible. The double-stack folding trick gives beautiful flakes without toughening the dough, and freezing the flour before starting is Hadas’ secret move for extra crispness.

Historical Record

Every year Liza bakes Henry a pie for his birthday from scratch. Her goal is to continue developing this recipe until she produces the perfect pie crust (the main judge being Henry Wilkinson, of course). The first version of this recipe was shared to Liza by friend Hadas Rosen, who is well known for her expansive knowlegde on the topic of baked goods.

Middle-Eastern Chili

Liza Desyatkova — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

1 16 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 16 ounce can fava beans beans, rinsed and drained
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 12 ounce can of corn
2 1/2 cups soup broth of choice
1 small red bell pepper diced
1 medium yellow onion diced
1 small lemon, juiced
4 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon paprika
3 teaspoon dried cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons of ground masala
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 bay leafs
Bread of choice
Optional: BBQ or Dijon sauce for extra flavour

Instructions

Prepare large pot with olive oil over medium heat.
Saute the diced onion, diced bell pepper, and minced garlic for 5 minutes.
Add all the spices, saute for another 3 minutes.
Add crushed tomatoes, cook for 5 minutes.
Add chickpeas, favabeans, corn, and soup broth.
Optional: add BBQ sauce, Dijon mustard, or your favourite sauce.
Cook until chili boils down to desired viscosity.
Add lemon juice.
Serve with warm bread or naan.

Comments

You can skip buying the spices you don’t have, it will be delicious either way.

Bonus trick: if you have whole cardamom, cloves, or cumin seeds, turn them into powder using a seed grinder, or mortar & pestle. This makes a huge difference in dish fragrance.

Historical Record

This recipe was adapted for Liza’s hardcore camping trip. She referenced an online recipe, with some alterations of removing the meat, and adding more of her favourite spices.

This is just normal chili, but with a Mediterranean twist, replacing the classic kidney beans with chickpeas and fava beans. The intoxicating spices will have your guests begging for the recipe after dinner.

Olive Oil Braised Bonus Beans

Tieghan Gerard — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Creates 4 servings

Ingredients

1/3 cup of olive oil
Rosemary
Pinch of red pepper flakes
4–6 garlic cloves
1 (400ml) can of full-fat coconut milk
1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas
1 (15.5-ounce) can of cannellini beans
1 Zucchini
1/2 350g package of extra firm tofu
6–8 fresh sage leaves
Nutmeg
Fine pink Himalayan sea salt

Instructions

Mince garlic.
Chop rosemary leaves, tofu, and zucchini.
In a large flat-walled pan, heat a 1/3 cup of olive oil with the rosemary and red pepper flakes over medium heat. Season the oil with salt.
Add the garlic and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is beginning to turn light brown.
Pour in the coconut milk, zucchini, tofu, chickpeas, and cannellini beans. Add the sage and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper.
Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced slightly, about 25 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
Spoon the beans into bowls and drizzle the rosemary oil on top. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, stir in the lemon juice, and then serve with crusty bread alongside.

Historical Record

This recipe is a modified version of the one originally featured in Tieghan Gerard’s Half Baked Harvest Every Day: Recipes for Balanced, Flexible, Feel-Good Meals (page 145). The original recipe calls for fresh rosemary which you fry in the oil, remove, chop, and reintroduce to the pot alongside a whole garlic process where you cook the cloves whole, remove them, mash them up, and reintroduce them near the end of the process.

The recipe is delicious, but we’ve found this is a lot of rigamarole and of questionable value? This simplified version includes none of that nonsense and, in my humble opinion, tastes as good or better. It was Liza’s idea to add the zucchini and tofu.

You can also add more sage leaves. It’s generally better if you do!

Enjoy!

-Henry

Henry's Cereal Mix

Henry Wilkinson — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

Milk
Quaker Harvest Crunch cereal
Post Honey Bunches of Oats cereal
Dried cranberries

Instructions

Fill a bowl with half of both cereal types.
Top with dried cranberries.
Stir until homogenous.
Add milk.

Comments

This recipe makes use of very specific branded ingredients and probably won’t stand the test of time.

It is also delicious, full of sugar, and likely terrible for you.

Potatoes Romanoff

Chef John Schenk — Wed, 25 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

6 good sized potatoes
250 ml sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (medium)
1 bunch of green onions, chopped (I use 1-2 stalks max)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Paprika

Instructions

Cook potatoes in boiling water (about 25m for large potatoes), in jackets until fork tender
Allow potatoes to cool, then peel.
Shred in large bowl. (I like large chunks, so I break them up with my fingers)
Mix in salt, pepper and onions.
Stir in sour cream and 1 cup of of cheese.
Turn into casserole dish.
Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with paprika.
Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or even better, overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F

Bake uncovered for about 30-40 min or until fully heated and bubbling at the edges.

Comments

The potatoes need to be big enough so that the ratio of sour cream to potato doesn’t make for a soupy texture.

Historical Record

From 12 Tomatoes:

The origin of Potatoes Romanoff can be traced back to the Strip House restaurants in New York and Las Vegas. Chef, John Schenk, created the dish for his restaurant, Strip House, based on the cheesy potato casseroles his mother made when he was growing up. The end result is a like if funeral potatoes got a bit of a makeover.

Funeral potatoes get their unique name from being a crowd-pleasing casserole served as a side dish at after-funeral luncheons particularly in the culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Who knew?

Ginger Molasses Cookies

Kerry Furneaux — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

3/4 cup Golden Crisco shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
extra granulated sugar for rolling (about 1/4 cup)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F

Cream shortening and sugar in large bowl on medium speed of electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add molasses and egg. Mix well.
Combine flour,baking soda, spices and salt.
Add to creamed mixture. Mix well. (Dough can be chilled for an hour for easier rolling, but I don’t usually bother.)
Shape dough into 1” balls.
Roll in sugar to coat well. Place balls on cookie sheet. (Don’t flatten; this will happen in the oven giving that cool cracked look.)
Bake for 10-12 mins, or until set. If the cookies don’t flatten out completely, when they come out of the oven just press them lightly with a spatula.

Teddington Park Shortbread

Emma Carter & Mary Lou Carter — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

1 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300°F

In a mixing bowl, combine butter sugar and cornstarch, blending well.
Gradually stir in flour.
Form dough into one inch balls (If dough is sticky, dust fingertips with flour.)
Place on an un-greased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart; flatten top of each with floured tines of a fork.
Bake in the middle of the oven, 20–25m or until golden on edges and just baked through.
Cool 10m; then with metal spatula, transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Store in airtight container with waxed paper between layers.

Comments

The ratio of flour to butter makes for a melt in your mouth kind of cookie. Cornstarch and icing sugar help stiffen the dough.

The un-greased cookie sheet prevents too much spreading.

A flat cookie sheets without sides is best for even baking.

Try to underbake rather than overbake as cookies continue to bake after they are removed from the oven.

Historical Record

The recipe belonged to Emma Carter and was shared by Mary Lou Carter to a publication, edited by Mary McGrath, called; A Shortbread Sampler: 50 Favourite Recipes to Benefit the Fresh Air and Santa Claus Funds at the Toronto Star.

Curried Pumpkin Apple Soup

Shannon Fisher — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

2 cups chopped pumpkin (14oz can)
1/4 cup butter
1 clove garlic chopped
1 onion chopped
1 leek, white part chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 large apple
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup whipping cream
salt and pepper
apple wedges
green onion strips

Instructions

In a soup pot, heat butter until sizzling.
Add garlic, onion, leek and apple, sauté until softened.
Stir in curry powder and cook for 1 min.
Add pumpkin and stock, and bring to a boil stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat and simmer for 20 min or until vegetables are tender.
Transfer to a food processor/blender and purée until smooth.
Return to pot, stir in cream and simmer for 3 min or until heated through.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve garnished with apple wedges and green onion.

Comments

Serves 6

Herby Sweet Potato Stew

Yotam Ottolenghi — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Creates 4 servings

Ingredients

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
Fine sea salt and black pepper
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
1 cup orzo
1 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/3 cup finely chopped dill
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/3 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 lemon, halved

Instructions

Step 1

In a medium saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and the cumin over medium-high for 2 minutes, until the cumin is toasted and fragrant.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the chopped onion, about two-thirds of the garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and a good crack of pepper.

Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and slightly softened.

Step 2

Add the sweet potatoes and cook for 4 minutes, stirring from time to time, until lightly caramelized but not yet cooked through.

Add the five-spice and cook for 1 minute, just until it starts to stick to the pan.

Add the orzo, ~1 cup stock and ~1 cup water. Bring to a boil, then cook for ~25 minutes, undisturbed, until the sweet potatoes have softened and the orzo is cooked through.

Step 3

Stir in the parsley, cilantro and dill, and cook for 1 minute more, then remove the pan from the heat.

Step 4

Make the peanut topping: Set the pepper flakes, sugar and the remaining garlic in a small heatproof bowl. Place the peanuts and 3 tablespoons olive oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Cook for 1–2 minutes, just until the peanuts start to turn golden brown, then pour the peanuts and oil over the chile-garlic mixture. Stir to combine, then, once the mixture is slightly cooled, add the sesame oil.

Step 5

When ready to serve, season the stew with 4 teaspoons lemon juice from 1 lemon half, then ladle into individual bowls. Spoon over the peanut topping, grate lemon zest from the remaining lemon over the top of each bowl, and serve.

Comments

Originally featured in “A Soup for When You Just Want to Be Alone”.

This was originally specced as a soup with about double the water. Chopped peanuts can be substituted for cashews.

Rigatoni with White Beans and Tomatoes

Erica De Mane — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

1 cup (6 oz/180 g) dried cannellini beans or one can of cannellini beans
6 tablespoons (3 fl oz/90 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
20 fresh sage leaves
1 & 1/4 lb (600 g) ripe plum (egg) tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or canned plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb (480 g) rigatoni

Instructions

If using dried cannellini beans, soak for 12 hours prior to cooking.

Drain the beans and transfer them to a heavy saucepan. Add water to cover them by about 1 inch and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer very gently until the beans are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed (this takes about 1 & 1/2 hours).
After 1 hour of cooking the beans, in a large, wide, shallow saucepan heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic and sage leaves and sauté, stirring frequently, until the garlic is translucent, about 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add the beans to the pan, cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 15 minutes.
As the beans cook, in a large pot bring 5L salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni to the boiling water and cook until barely al dente.
Drain the pasta and transfer it to the saucepan containing the beans. Raise the heat to medium and stir completely to coat the pasta for about 1 minute
Plate and serve with lots of parmesan cheese!

Pumpkin Pie

Bear Wallow Books, Indianapolis — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

2 cups cooked pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 eggs slights beaten
1 cup light cream
2 9-inch pie shells (store bought is fine)
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F

Combine pumpkin, sugar, spices, salt.
Blend in eggs and cream.
Pour into pie shells
Bake at 425°F for 15m
Reduce oven temp to 350°F and bake for 45m or until cake tester inserted off-centre comes out clean.

Comments

Robin transfers the store bought pie shell to a pyrex pie dish because she has some nice ones and it looks good when pie is served at the table. If you bake your pie in the aluminum pie plates that come with the store bought crust, the 350°F bake time might need to be adjusted.

Barbara Michel frequented The Cookbook Store a beloved store that was located in the Yorkville neighbourhood of Toronto. This recipe is from a book called “Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Recipes” published by Bear Wallow Books. Barbara gave the book to her daughter Robin as a Christmas Gift.

Historical Record

Bear Wallow Books was founded in 1978, by a historian who lived in the beautiful wooded hills of Brown County, in southern Indiana. She was teaching at Indiana University and researching early American history, when she realized that she saw recipes everywhere she looked; on scraps of paper that had been carried by immigrants crossing the sea, by pioneers leaving behind families and friends to settle a new country, and in letters containing family recipes to be handed down to new generations. Recipes provided unique insights into history, telling about the culture people came from, their economic status, and the foods available to them.

The rest, as they say, is history. When the historian retired, she had published 27 books, from Amish and Apple, to Woodstove and Zucchini. Her successors were carefully chosen. In 1998 Tom and Linda Wolfe purchased the business, and added more books, bringing the old-fashioned recipe series to 40 titles.

In 2018, Tom and Linda’s oldest daughter took over the business. Ever a Hoosier at heart, Anne still has the books printed in southern Indiana, one of the most beautiful places in the world. But she now resides, as does Bear Wallow Books, in Providence, Rhode Island.

For more information, see the Bear Wallow Books about page.

Rosemary Cashews

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

1 lb (450g) roasted unsalted cashews
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F

Spread cashews out on a sheet pan.
Toast in oven until warm, about 5m.
In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients.
Thoroughly toss the cashews with the spiced butter and serve warm.

Comments

When entertaining, before dinner, Barbara Michel served these and the Sweet–Salty Walnuts along with champagne.

Brother Rick's Orange Cranberry Bread

Brother Rick Curry — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
2 large eggs
2/3 cup orange juice
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup finely chopped dried apricots (120g)
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
3 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen, chopped in a food processor

Instructions

Place baking rack in middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F

Grease and flour 2 8x4–inch loaf pans (or 4 smaller pans) or equivalent.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate, large bowl, or stand-up mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the orange zest and eggs, 1 at a time.
Add the orange juice and milk and beat until mixed thoroughly. It will appear curdled.
Add the flour mixture and beat until it is just moistened.
Fold in the apricots, walnuts, and cranberries.
Spread batter evenly into pans.
Bake for 60m if pans are large (check at 50m), 45m for smaller pans.
It is done when a cake tester ot toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool for 5 min, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Comments

These breads, wrapped well, keep for 1 week in the refrigerator or frozen for a month.

Historical Record

Rick Curry, a Jesuit brother and founder of the National Theater Workshop of the Handicapped [sic]`, has also gained a reputation as a bread baker. This recipe comes from the book, “The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking,” originally published in 1995. At some point in the 2000’s Robin got it off the ‘Interwebs’. She wrote the recipe on a recipe card that already contained a magazine cut-out for a recipe for ‘herbed green peas’. Robin has yet to make ‘herbed green peas’. So whether that recipe is any good remains a secret, for now.

The Jesuits had a lot of secrets, apparently. This Cranberry Bread recipe does not need to be one of them. Back into the ‘Interwebs’ it goes!

Recipe Source: Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking by Brother Rick Curry, HarperPerennial, 1995

Sticks and Stars Applesauce

Sun, 31 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

2 pears peeled and cored
2 apples peeled and cored
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 pinch of salt
6 whole cloves
2 whole star anise
1 stick of cinnamon, about 5cm long
2 tablespoons water

Instructions

Cut pears into bite sized chunks.
Chop apples.
In a small sauce pan combine pears, apples, lemon juice, sugar, salt, cloves, star anise cinnamon and water.
Cover and bring to simmer, cook for 10 minutes.
Uncover and continue to cook until pears are very tender and apples break down to make a thick sauce, 12-15 minutes.
Remove cloves, cinnamon, and anise.
Let cool.

Comments

Make 2 cups.

Grandma (Barbara Michel) made this frequently for Henry and Harriet when they were small.

Sweet–Salty Roasted Walnuts

Sun, 31 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

2 cups walnut halves
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions

Stir walnuts and salt together in a large, non-stick skillet over low heat for 10m or until nuts begin to toast and smell fragrant.
Add sugar.
Stir until nuts become coated with syrup (melted sugar) and start to clump and turn dark, but not burnt (about 2m).
Pour onto parchment paper in a single layer.
Cool.
Store in an airtight container.

Comments

This recipe comes from Barbara Michel, but its origin is unknown. It was her go–to as an appetizer that came with pre-dinner champagne when she was entertaining. She also used pecans and almonds.

Robin generally got in the habit of using almonds, which work really well. It makes a great holiday season gift in a sealed see-thru plastic envelope with a cute holiday sticker.

Broiled Mushroom Caps

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

16 medium button mushrooms
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoons OXO bouillon
1 teaspoon chopped chives
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs

Instructions

Clean mushrooms with a mushroom brush. Do not wash as this makes them soggy.
Remove stems from caps.
Chop stems and sauté in melted butter for 5 min.
Stir in OXO bouillon, chives, and crumbs.
Arrange inverted caps on broiling pan.
Spoon mixture into caps.
Broil in oven for about 5 min (watch carefully to prevent burning)
Serve hot.

Pumpkin Bread

Fannie Farmer — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

Dry

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Wet

1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs beaten
1/4 cup water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F

Grease and flour a 9x5x3" loaf pan.
In a mixing bowl, sift together dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients together.
Create a well in the dry ingredients, put the wet ingredients into it and mix to combine. Do not over mix.
Pour into loaf pan.
Bake for 50–60m or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Comments

Robin: I have never used the walnuts. I usually tripled the recipe to use up a full can of pumpkin puree. This made two large loaves, likely needing the full cooking time, but it depends on the oven.

Historical Record

This recipe was shared with Robin by Elliott Carew at a time when we were both trying to figure out how to get vegetables into toddlers.

Fannie Farmer published her best-known work, The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, in 1896. A follow-up to an earlier version called Mrs. Lincoln’s Boston Cook Book, published by Mary J. Lincoln in 1884, the book under Farmer’s direction eventually contained 1,850 recipes. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook was revised by Marion Cunningham and published in 1994.

West African Peanut Stew

Angela Liddon — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeño, seeded, if desired, and diced (optional)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their juices
Fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup vegetable broth, more if needed
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 handfuls baby spinach or de-stemmed, or torn kale leaves
Fresh cilantro or parsley leaves, for serving
Chopped roasted peanuts, for serving

Instructions

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
Add the bell pepper, jalapeño (if using), sweet potato, and tomatoes with their juices. Raise the heat to medium-high and simmer for 5 minutes more. Season the vegetables with salt and black pepper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter and 1 cup of the vegetable broth until no clumps remain. Stir the mixture into the vegetables, chili powder, and the cayenne (if using).
Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, or until the sweet potato is fork-tender.
Stir in the chickpeas and spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Ladle the stew into bowls and garnish with cilantro and roasted peanuts.

Comments

1 cup of broth has always been enough when Robin made the stew.

This stew is excellent over rice (we’ve found brown rice is best) which could be leftover or made at the same time.

Makes 6 servings.

Historical Record

Excerpted from The Oh She Glows Cookbook: Vegan Recipes to Glow from the Inside Out by Angela Liddon. Copyright © 2014 Glo Bakery Corporation. Published by Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Robin got this recipe from her friend Nancy Dawe. Delicious.

Nut Loaf

Grandma (Bunny) Lawrence — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

Dry

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Wet

1 egg beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F

Grease and flour a 9x5" loaf pan.
Mix dry ingredients except walnuts.
Make a well in centre and add wet ingredients.
Combine until dampened; do not over beat.
Fold in walnuts.
Bake for 50–60m until cake tester comes out clean.

Comments

Grandma’s recipe note: (I only use 1/2 tsp salt)

Freezes well.

Historical Record

When Grandma was in her 80’s this nut loaf became a regular feature served with her afternoon tea at the oak dining table. Grandma drank orange pekoe tea throughout her life, always made in a tea pot and served in tea cups. She also gave away many nut loaves as a thank you or just because she felt like it. She often joked about the hundreds of nut loaves she likely made during that period of her life.

Cranberry Loaf

Grandma (Bunny) Lawrence — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

Dry

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups fresh cranberries

Wet

3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup canola oil
1 beaten egg

Lemon Glaze

1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F

Grease and flour a a 9x5" loaf pan.
Mix well all dry ingredients except walnuts and cranberries.
Mix wet ingredients together and then mix in with dry just enough to dampen. Do not overwork.
Fold in cranberries and walnuts.
Transfer the mixture to the loaf pan and bake for 50–60m until a cake tester comes out clean.
Allow to cool.
Mix glaze ingredients together.
When loaf is cool, turn onto wire rack.
Brush glaze on all sides of loaf.
Keeps well in the refrigerator.

Comments

Bunny’s granddaughter Robin, added the lemon glaze to create a “fancier” loaf for hostess gifts or entertaining company, but it is also delicious without it.

A sprinkling of coarse sugar on the top of the loaf before baking can be nice instead of the glaze.

Historical Record

This recipe was passed down to Robin in the 1990’s at the same time as Grandma’s “infamous” Nut Loaf.

Fresh Apple Cake

Grandma (Bunny) Lawrence — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

Cake

1 1/2 cups salad oil
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans
3 cups raw apples
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder

Caramel Icing

1 stick of margarine
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
Icing sugar (added to help spreading consistency)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F

Cake

Peel and dice apples and set aside.
Place oil in mixing bowl of a stand mixer.
Add sugar and eggs.
Beat until creamy at low speed.
Add vanilla.
In a separate bowl, sift flour with salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
Add small amount of flour to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.
When all dry ingredients have been added, batter will be stiff.
Remove beaters and fold in pecans and apples.
Spread evenly in a large pan (9x11x12 inches)
Bake for 55-60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Allow to cool before icing.

Icing

Place margarine, salt, and brown sugar in saucepan.
Heat just enough to melt margarine and mix until sugar dissolves.
Add just enough icing sugar to make enough consistency to spread.

Comments

The recipe was typed with carbon paper. The icing was an addition by Bunny’s daughter Barbara, written onto the card in ball point pen.

Butter can be substituted for margarine 1 to 1 ratio.

Grandma Lawrence’s comments on the recipe card:

very, very good Mother Lawrence
chopped pecans (I only had walnuts)
apples (delicious) I just used apples I had, no particular kind.
dice apples (I hope you have a chopper and a wooden chopping bowl)
Here is icing. I never did get it iced.

Carrot Cake

Lenore Wilkinson — Sun, 04 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
4 eggs
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups light vegetable oil like canola
2 1/2 cups grated raw carrot
1 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting

4oz (125 g) cream cheese
1/4 cup butter at room temp
2 cups sifted icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F

In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
In a stand mixer (or separate bowl) beat eggs, brown and white sugars, and oil.
Stir in dry ingredients and mix well.
Stir in raisins, carrots and nuts.
Pour into a greased and floured 13x9" baking pan or a 13" bundt or tube pan.
Bake 40–45m for oblong pan, 60 min for bundt pan.
Inserted cake tester should come out clean.
Allow to cool before frosting.

Frosting

In a stand mixer beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until well blended.
Slowly add icing sugar until all mixed together.
Remove cooled cake from pan and place on cake plate.
Tuck small pieces of waxed paper around to bottom edge of cake to keep cake plate clean while frosting.
Frost the cake and remove waxed paper when finished.

Comments

This recipe is pretty fool proof. Eliminate the walnuts if serving to people with allergies or sensitivities. Eliminate the raisins if serving to Henry or Justin.

Chopstick Tuna Casserole

Grandma (Bunny) Lawrence — Sun, 04 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

1 10oz can of cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup of water
2 cups of Chow Mein noodles
1 cup of sliced celery
1 can of mandarin orange slices
1/2 cup toasted cashews
1/2 cup of chopped onion
Dash of pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°C

Combine the soup and water
Add 1 cup of chow mein noodles, tuna, celery, cashews, onions and pepper.
Toss lightly and place in an non-greased baking dish.
Sprinkle remaining noodles on top.
Bake for 15m or till fully heated.
Garnish with orange slices.

Comments

Grandma wrote at the end of the recipe card: (funny, I just realized I was tossing the whole two cups [of noodles] into it, and it turned out O.K.)

Historical Record

In the 1970s sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter, Gabe Kotter’s wife Julie frequently makes her “world famous” tuna casserole, which is actually notorious for being so bad. As Gabe remarked to his wife during an argument, “Nobody puts prunes in a tuna casserole!”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuna_casserole

Oranges good! Prunes bad! (or maybe not?)

Tuna Casserole with Potato Chips

Grandma (Bunny) Lawrence — Sun, 04 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

4oz broad or extra broad egg noodles
1 can of solid white tuna packed in water (170g)
1 10oz can of golden mushroom soup (284 ml can)
10oz of milk (the equivalent of one soup can)
8oz bag of plain potato chips
1 cup grated medium cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°C

In a large pot cook noodles until just tender. Do not overcook.
Grease a casserole dish.
Drain and flake the tuna to chunks, not too fine.
Crush potato chips in bag until they are coarse.
Combine soup and milk and mix well.
Layer into casserole dish, starting with a layer of chips, then 1/2 of the noodles, then 1/2 of the tuna.
Pour half the milk and soup mixture over the layers and sprinkle with 1/2 the grated cheese.
Repeat the process and top with a final layer of potato chips.
Bake for 30m

Comments

Grandma’s recipe is a series of typed instructions without exact quantities. Fortunately Robin remembers making it as a child. Back then, potato chips were sold with two separate white inner bags inside of the outside bag. The recipe used one inner bag. The other bag helped create enthusiasm for dinner making.

Grandma’s recipe did not include peas which appears to be a feature of other versions. Maybe she didn’t like peas.

Grandma includes the following note at the end of the recipe card: “Serve with salad, hot biscuits, lemon tarts. (I never noticed that last line before, sounds good doesn’t it. Robin might like this.)”

Grandma’s recipe called for cream of mushroom soup, but her daughter Barbara used golden mushroom soup and that is what her daughter Robin copied onto her recipe card before she went to University.

Historical Record

Quaint Cooking For the Love of the Vintage Kitchen has a nice write up about this dish.

https://quaintcooking.com/2019/09/13/history-of-tuna-noodle-casserole/

Noodles Robinson

Edward G. Robinson, via Grandma (Bunny) Lawrence — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

1 pound (450 grams) extra broad egg noodles
3 tbsp butter
1 green pepper chopped
2 large onions chopped fine
3 pounds of lean ground beef
1 pound of grated medium cheddar cheese (453g = 4 cups grated, add a bit extra for topping)
2 10oz cans of tomato soup (or 284 ml can)
2 8oz cans of tomato sauce (227g can)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Small amount of olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°C

Boil noodles in large pot of salted water until tender.
Drain and mix with a small amount of olive oil to prevent clumping, set aside
In a large sauce pan, melt butter and saute onion lightly
Add green pepper and saute until slightly soft, then set aside in a bowl
Add a small amount of olive oil to pot and add ground beef, salt and pepper to taste
Cook the beef stirring often, until no pink remains
Add the cooked onion and greed pepper
Add cheese and combine until just melted
Add tomato soup and tomato sauce
Mix in noodles and turn mixture into a large baking dish
Top with extra grated cheese
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 min
Lower heat to 325°C and continue to bake until cooked through, edges may be bubbling slightly.

Comments

Makes 10 or 12 servings.

Leftovers are delicious cold or reheated.

Freezes well. Defrost completely before baking.

Historical Record

Edward G. Robinson was an American stage and film actor best known for playing fierce, angry, and often murderous little men. He was actually well-liked and respected by almost everyone off-screen, having been a sensitive, quiet, artistic type when not performing. When he died in 1973, he left an estate valued at $2.5 million, which largely consisted of rare works of art.

This recipe originally appeared in The Celebrity Cookbook, edited by Dinah Shore in 1966 as a charity fundraiser. Edward G. Robinson’s second wife, Jane likely had a hand in the creation of this recipe.

Fulton Street Pancakes

Joan Simmonds — Sat, 27 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

Part 1

1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of cinnamon (optional)

Part 2

1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons oil
Splash of vanilla

Instructions

Mix ingredients in Part 1
Mix ingredients in Part 2
Mix 1 into 2
Put into pan at medium heat
Flip when the batter bubbles, cook until golden brown

Comments

Also good with bananas!

Works just as well in a waffle maker.

Cottage Pudding with Maple Sauce

Grandma (Bunny) Lawrence — Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

Cake

1 egg
1 cup of milk, room temperature
2 cups of flour
4 tablespoons of butter (2 ounces) softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons of cream of tartar
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon maple (or vanilla) flavouring (to taste)

Sauce

3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons four
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F

Cake

Cream butter and sugar, add egg.
Sift together flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda.
Alternately add dry ingredients and milk slowly to egg mixture to combine.
Pour batter in a greased 8x8 pan.
Bake for 25–30 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Sauce

Over medium heat, melt butter in a sauce pan over low heat,
Stir in flour and sugar and gradually add milk to prevent lumps.
Sir constantly until it thickens.
Flavour with vanilla or maple flavouring (to taste)
Keep warm until ready to serve.

Serving

Cut cake into squares and place each serving on a small plate or in a small bowl.
Pour warm sauce over each square and serve.

Comments

Note from Grandma to her daughter Barbara on the recipe card: “Barbara you can do as I do, mix flour salt sugar in pan, add milk stirring so it won’t become lumpy, then toss in butter.”

No recipes for the actual Cottage Pudding (ie. the cake) could be found in our family collection. Pudding is the term used by the British to mean dessert.

Historical Record

In her blog, Revolutionary Pie freelance writer and editor Karen Hammonds writes:

Cottage pudding originated in North America. The earliest recipe I could find was published in 1863 or 1864 in Godey’s Lady’s Book, a popular 19th-century women’s magazine. It was reprinted in Civil War Recipes: Receipts from the Pages of Godey’s Lady’s Book, a wonderful collection edited by Lily May Spaulding and John Spaulding.

Robin choose the cake recipe in this entry for its authenticity and simplicity. It was adapted by the Macculloch Hall Historical Museum from a recipe belonging to Louisa Macculloch, a British immigrant who settled with her husband George in what is now New Jersey in 1810.

Original Louisa Macculloch Cottage Pudding Recipe

1 egg
1 cup of milk
1 pint of flour
1/8 pound of butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons full of cream tartar in the flour
1 teaspoon on soda in the milk

Louisa Macculloch did not have a written recipe for a sauce to pair with the cake.

Chocolate Lime Swirl

Barbara Michel — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

1 box of chocolate wafers (18 crushed, 12-14 whole)
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 3oz package of lime gelatin (Jello)
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup of boiling water
10 drops of green food colouring; omit if jelly powder will yeild its own green colour. .
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup undiluted Carnation evaporated milk

Instructions

Crush 18 wafers, set aside 12-14 wafers.
Mix crumbs with melted butter and spread on the bottom of a glass pie dish, retaining some for garnish on top.
Line sides with whole wafers.
Dissolve jelly powder and sugar in boiling water.
Add food colouring, lemon rind and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, reserve the rest.
Chill until slightly thickened.
Chill evaporated milk in the freezer for 15–20m, until ice crystals are just forming at the edges.
Whip evaporated milk until stiff, about 1m.
Add lemon juice and whip 2 more minutes.
Fold in jelly mixture and spoon over crust.
Sprinkle remaining crumbs over top in a swirl pattern or your design of choice.
Chill at least 1-2hrs before serving.

Comments

It was always a great day when this showed up in the fridge, usually in advance of Sunday dinner. Robin never knew the proper name of the recipe and thought it was called Green Grasshopper Pie, but that dessert, while also using chocolate wafers is a chocolate mint dessert.

Currently available chocolate wafers may require adjustments to the quantities in the recipe. The original product was quite thin, about 2in in diameter and had a nice chocolate taste—a wafer, not a cookie.

Historical Record

Nabisco chocolate wafers were introduced in 1924 and were responsible for popularizing icebox cakes. Nabisco’s parent company, Mondelez International discontinued the wafers in February of 2023, much to the dismay of the Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers Fan Club, and likely many other other more casual icebox and cheesecake makers.

In July of 2023, Mondelez relaunched the iconic Mr. Christie collection of cookies in Canada. As part of the relaunch, Mondelez invites “Canadians to celebrate with fan-favourites like Peek Freans, Fudgee-O and Dads and get to know Mr. Christie again.”

Mr. Christie was licensed by Mondelez to make Mr. Christies Chocolate Wafers, but it is unclear whether the product is actually or easily available in Canada.

Seven Layer Squares aka (Hello Dollys & Magic Bars)

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

1/4 lb unsalted butter
1 & 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 6oz package semisweet chocolate chips
1 6oz package butterscotch chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup shredded coconut

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F

Put butter in 13x9x2" baking pan and place in oven until melted. Swirl to coat bottom and sides with butter.
Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs evenly over bottom of pan.
Sprinkle coconut over crumb layer.
Layer in chocolate chips and butterscotch chips.
Pour condensed milk over chips and sprinkle with walnuts.
Bake in preheated oven until edges are golden brown, about 30–35m.
Let cool completely and cut into bars.

Comments

This recipe came from Grandma (Bunny) Lawrence. Once again, it looks like we have Gail Borden to thank for this piece of 1960’s childhood deliciousness.

Historical Record

The web page for Hello Dolly Bars in Southern Living Magazine offers the following explanation for the number of aliases that this dessert has:

These bars go by a few different names, including magic bars, coconut dream bars, seven-layer cookies, and of course, Hello Dolly Bars. Recipes for these bars began to pop up in the 1960s, both on the back of the Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk, as well as submissions in various publications.

The name Hello Dolly Bars most likely stemmed from the popularity of the Broadway show Hello Dolly, which starred Carol Channing around the time this recipe began circulating, although the connection is unclear.

Hello Dolly name attached was introduced to the public in Clementine Paddleford’s food column in The Week magazine on September 19, 1965. Paddleford featured a recipe shared by 11-year-old Alecia Leigh Couch, of Dallas, which she had learned from her grandmother. The recipe included the now familiar combination of graham cracker crumbs, flaked coconut, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and condensed milk. The name was reportedly Alecia’s idea.

In 1964, Gail Borden featured this recipe on the back of his label of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk. It was called Magic Cookie Bars and still can be found on the labels today.

Hello, Dolly! debuted at the Fisher Theater in Detroit on November 18, 1963, directed and choreographed by Gower Champion and produced by David Merrick. It starred legendary stage performer Carol Channing as Dolly Gallagher Levi. The show moved to Broadway in 1964, winning 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Actress in a Musical for Channing.

Chipits Chewy Nut Bars

The Hershey Company — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

1/2 cup regular margerine (butter probably works too)
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 & 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (6 oz package) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F

In a sauce pan, melt margarine.
Remove from heat.
Add sugar and vanilla and stir, beating well.
Add eggs one at a time beating well together after each addition.
Stir together, flour, baking powder and salt.
Add to sauce pan and mix well.
Spread into a well greased 9x13x2 rectangular baking pan.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips and nuts over batter.
Bake in oven for 35 to 40 minutes.
Remove when done, allow to cool and then cut into bars.

Comments

Freezes well as individual bars.

Best Lemon Squares EVER

Grandma (Bunny) Lawrence — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

Crumble

1 & 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter (salted)
1/3 cup brown sugar (packed) or 1/2 cup (not packed)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Filling

1 300 ml can Eagle Brand Sweetened and Condensed Milk
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1–2 lemons)
Grated lemon rind from one lemon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F

Crumble

In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients well.
Mix dry ingredients with melted butter
Spread 2/3 mixture in an 8x12" greased metal baking pan and compress well into the bottom of the pan.

Filling

In a separate bowl, blend the sweetened and condensed milk with the lemon juice and lemon rind.
Pour the mixture onto the crumb base layer and spread evenly.
Sprinkle remaining crumbs to form the top layer.
Bake for 25-30 min or until just bubbling slightly at the edges.

Chill after baking, serve cold.

Comments

This recipe is highly cherished and has won over every family member over four generations. Bunny Lawrence adopted it and passed it down to her daughter Barbara (Michel) and family. Barbara’s daughter Robin took over production at a very young age and its a wonder anything made it into the pan. Barbara’s son Justin introduced it to his family and his expert baker wife Sabrina created a five layer version!

Historical Record

Gail Borden introduced Eagle Brand in 1856 to fight food poisoning and other illnesses related to lack of refrigeration and preservation techniques. His discovery provided milk that would remain safe and wholesome.

The Civil War helped Eagle Brand become a household name.

In 1931, a Borden Kitchens’ promotion offered homemakers $25 for their original recipes. The rules called for “recipes in which Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk makes cooking quicker, easier, and surer.” Over 80,000 recipes were submitted. Quick and easy foolproof recipes have been a key benefit of Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk through the decades.

This recipe for Lemon Squares likely came from that initiative.

Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk continued to grow in popularity, gaining promotional assistance from Elsie®, the Borden® Cow. Elsie® made her debut in national consumer magazines in 1938 and starred in Borden’s exhibit at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. By the 1960s, Elsie® had become America’s best-known spokes-cow—a recognized symbol of wholesomeness and quality.

For more information, see the Eagle Brand Company history page.

As a teenager, Barbara had a summer job at the Canadian National Exhibition, CNE, in Toronto. Her job was to work with Elsie the Cow as she engaged with the public.

Ratatouille Bake

Donna Acal — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups diced peeled eggplant
2 cups sliced zucchini
1 & 1/2 cups diced onion
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup of celery (or carrots)
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (this gives it a little zip!)
1 & 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
1 large can no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained (or 6 large fresh tomatoes)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 & 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1 can chickpeas, drained

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F

Heat oil in large pot over medium high heat. Add eggplant and next 8 ingredients (eggplant through crushed pepper flakes); sauté 1 minute.
Add rice: sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and broth; bring to a boil.
Add cheese and chickpeas, stir well.
Spoon rice mixture into a large baking dish (or two small ones so you can freeze one).
Cover and bake at 375°F for 40 minutes, or until rice is tender. It is usually done when almost all the liquid is absorbed.

Comments

ENJOY — this is so yummy, you won’t believe it!!

Vegetarian Chili

Robin Michel — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

Part 1

2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
15 medium sized mushrooms, sliced

Part 2

1 19oz can of red kidney beans
1 19oz can of black beans
1 28oz can of whole stewed tomatoes
1 5.5oz can of tomato paste
2 fresh tomatoes chopped
1/2 of a 350g package, extra firm tofu chopped into squares

Part 3

2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of oregano
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 heaping tablespoon of chili powder
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
Fresh ground black pepper (as much or as little as you want)
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Part 4

1 cup of frozen corn niblets

Instructions

Part 1

In a large pot, sauté garlic and onion until onion is soft but not brown.
Add chopped vegetables and continue to sauté.

Part 2

Mix in all of the Part 2 ingredients and bring mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Stir every once in a while.

Part 3

Add seasoning and spice. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Stir every once in a while.

Part 4

Stir in niblets continue to simmer until they are cooked through.

Comments

Ladle into bowels and serve with a sliced baguette.

Historical Record

Robin started making chili when she went to university in 1983 using the book Food 101: A Student Guide to Quick and Easy Cooking. This book was a gift from Mom and Dad (Barbara and Ernest). The recipe has undergone many, many changes over the years as a result of various influences. For a period of time in the late 80s and early 90’s it even included a couple of squares of chocolate! The meat ingredient started out as ground beef, and then changed to cubed beef, and then to chicken, and finally tofu in the 2020s when a completely vegetarian recipe was desired. The Silver Palate Cookbook was the inspiration for the addition of dijon mustard and oregano. The addition of corn was strictly because Robin felt like it one day.

Chicken Baked with Olives, Lemons, and Capers

Donna Hay — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Ingredients

200g (6.5oz) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup green pitted olives
2 tsp grated lemon rind
2 tbsp capers, rinsed
2 tbsp olive oil
cracked black pepper and a small pinch of salt
2 chicken breast fillets

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Combine the olives, lemon rind, capers, olive oil, tomatoes, black pepper, and salt into a bowl.
Spoon 1/2 of the mixture onto a baking dish.
Place the chicken on top.
Spoon the rest of the mixture over the chicken until coated.
Place in the oven for 20 min.
Flip chicken and cook for another 20 min, or until chicken is cooked.

Comments

We like this with baked potatoes and a salad.